Sobered by Love

I could fill you in with all of the too-numerous-to-count details of today's experiences which include a perfect day of weather in Guilin (tropical almost), an absolutely lovely stroll around the lake, a little shopping here and there, eating, eating and more eating (Did I mention eating? I don't think I've ever been hungry in China, and when you think you're full, you always find room for just a little more), a visit to the zoo, a visit to the local park, flying back to Guangzhou,... oh, and more eating, but... we will spare you all of those details. Suffice it to state we had a very fulfilling day.

But rather than focus on those events, I'd rather spend the time writing about something much deeper, much more profound than an event, which actually filled more than our  stomachs. When I woke up this morning I knew it would be our last day with our good friends from China. Feeling rather sentimental about it all (my friends leaving combined with the tornado of emotions surrounding the adoption of Xiao Qian into our family), I prayed that God would open up an opportunity at breakfast to allow Victoria and me to express to Xiao Qian just how we were feeling about everything involving her. I wanted it to come through as pure a translation as possible from dear friends (who we would call "family") who know and love us. After eating a traditional Chinese breakfast (yes, eating again), I asked these folks if they'd do us a huge favor. They unhesitatingly answered, "Of course, anything." And here's (paraphrased) what I said to them, "Please tell Xiao Qian, from someone who knows and loves us, someone who we consider to be family, how much we are trying to understand just how difficult this transition must be for her. She's obviously demonstrating to us that she's a very brave girl, and for that we're proud of her. But the fact that we do not speak her language, and the fact that she's going to have to eat food that is a far cry from what her native Chinese taste buds enjoy, and the fact that she's leaving all she's ever known for her entire life, and the fact that she's going to have to open herself up to people who are complete strangers to her, and the fact that she's going  to have to try to fit into a new school without a friend in sight, and the fact that there are just so many other things that will change for her, most of which we have never even thought about, are things that we're very sensitive to and will be there for her to work through. Please tell her that sometimes in order to find a family and receive love, you have to go through hardship. And while she may not see it now, she will one day and hopefully look back on it with thankfulness. And finally, please tell her that even though we don't know her as well as we'd like or one day will, nor does she us, that we love her and will always, yes always be there for her." I think it went something like that. Toward the tail end of that diatribe, I found my lips starting to quiver and holding back a flood of emotional tears that were no doubt a build-up of over a year of contemplative preparation and prayer. I also noticed some pretty heavy eyes on the other side of the table, in my friends that is (Xiao Qian was to my immediate right), and they were finding it difficult to control their emotions as well. Then the translation came from our good friend Shuyu Huang, and it was long. I don't know if he was embellishing what I was saying or if the Mandarin version of my request required that many more syllables. Xiao Qian was intently focused on his every word, making direct eye-contact without ever gazing away. Huang's words were soft spoken and tender (uncharacteristic of traditional Chinese conversation, at least based upon my observations). Then our friend Madam Cui did likewise behind a set of watery eyes, only later I found out that she told Xiao Qian a story about her first year-long work visit to the United States and how difficult that was on her, but how she persevered - and if asked to do it all over again, she would without hesitation. Again, Xiao Qian was riveted, at least by outward appearances. I was having a hard time holding it together, as was Victoria, just trying to imagine what these dear loved ones were trying to communicate to her with such love, care and compassion. After they were finished, I said to all three of them, "Thank you so much for being our friends. We don't know why you love us so much. (Now I'm blubbering.) We don't deserve your friendship. You've always been so kind to us. You've always been and always shall be like family to us. You are our family in China. We cannot thank you enough." And now..., everyone is crying, except Xiao Qian. I then leaned over to Xiao Qian, took her face in my hands, pressed my lips into her ears and said, "Wo ai ni." (I love you.) Victoria also said a few words behinds tears of love, and then we had some long moments of silence, but they were peaceful and comfortable.

We cannot begin to imagine what Xiao Qian was thinking about all of this. Her body language was closed off a bit, but it simply had to be powerful. It wasn't planned to go quite like that, but God had a different idea (as He almost always does). I was so happy that we could give Xiao Qian this gift today, regardless of whether she viewed it as such. I must believe she'll remember it for the rest of her life (we certainly will). After the silence had subsided for awhile, our other good friend, Shan, said, "See, it doesn't matter what language comes out of your mouth. We share a common language - it's called feelings, it's called love." She's right, love crosses all geographic, ethnic and cultural boundaries, and it's recognized and comprehended by all when it comes from the heart. If we never said a word this morning, what was communicated through our love would require more room than a large library could hold of books about it. Now, today, was one of my best days, and I believe the bedrock foundation for a life of family was set in stone that will require more than a legion to destroy. Today we begin to erect in the power of love, love that comes from God, love that simply cannot be explained.

It was this afternoon at that zoo that I heard the familiar words in China, "BaBa, BaBa", come from the mouth of a child where hundreds roamed. Only this voice sounded familiar, like a mother recognizing the cry of her baby after only a few seconds from giving birth - this voice had a lower tone to it, and this voice was the voice of our Xiao Qian. She leaned next to me and enthusiastically pointed to the Panda Bear, the first one she had ever seen in her life. Those are the words I've wanted to hear, and those similar words of Dad, Daddy, Papa or whatever from my other children are the sweetest words any man who is a father could ever hear. And thus are some of the sweetest words my Father wants to hear, but those only first came after I knew I had a Father and after I heard Him say similar things to me (like we said to Xiao Qian).  I first heard His voice over thirty-five years ago, although He had spoken to me long before there ever was.

Sobered by love,

From Both Sides of the Globe

The technological challenges we've had here in China have been nothing but that - challenging. I do believe it's all working out for the best (especially the fact that I don't have a Blackberry with access to the "outside" world), but when you're trying to make blog posts, and more importantly talk to your family back home, it can be rather exasperating. However, after several frustrating attempts to talk to Barret, Austin and Meagan by voice-over-internet, we finally got through with a one-way "conversation" from Barret to us who let us know that Willow got really sick last night and spiked a fever of 103 degrees. Meagan took her to the pediatrician and it turns out she has ear infections and one drum may have burst. Poor little thing. I guess the prescribed medications are doing their magic and she's feeling much better now, but I remember those nasty earaches (I used to get them frequently), and they're (as we like to say between us older ones in the Kruggel household), "H - E - Double toothpicks".

I guess Austin, Meagan, Barret, Poppy and Willow all headed down to San Luis Obispo for the weekend, so we're delighted they could get away. Annie's hosting (or hosted) a birthday party for her boyfriend, Brian, and she'll see her other siblings over the weekend. We're also very delighted about this.

We were told by Annie (via phonecard today) the little girls gave Meagan quite a fright last night because she got up from bed and went to go check on them in their room only to realize they were not there. Her mind started to race and all sorts of terrible things began to run through it (as you might imagine), but she finally found them lying in bed with their brother, Barret, sleeping in his room. Our hearts broke for Meagan, but it turned out with a good ending, especially the visual we have in our mind of those sweet little things snuggled up to (who they affectionately refer to as) "Brother".

Well, that's the latest back home, and for us on the other side of the world? Why we just had a fantastic day. The trip down the Li River out of Guilin was spectacular. It was a little overcast at times, with drizzle coming and going (the guides said the gods were weeping), but that didn't dampen our spirits. In fact, we're told it's preferred in these parts to have this kind of weather over what we Americans typically like, sunny with clear, blue skies. That's one of many paradigm shifts we experience when we travel to China - beauty is everywhere, it's just a matter of what lens you view it through in order to see it vividly. We're certain Xiao Qian (pronounced, "Zschow Chee-in", as a friend from church was recently asking through facebook) had never seen anything like it before (nor had we for that matter) and she really seemed to enjoy herself. She kept saying, "Beautiful, beautiful" in Mandarin (won't try to spell it out in Pinyin here), and she took a gazillion pictures after I just handed my camera over to her (after a brief one minute instruction lesson - she learns very quickly).

We then ventured through some very non-traditional areas not typically traveled by westerners, and then went to some other areas frequently traveled by westerners. We had a ball, and Xiao Qian connected with everyone so well, especially our native speaking friends from Guilin and Beijing. One tender moment came today when she ran off with one of them to an outdoor shopping area and picked out a silver bracelet for her MaMa that she wanted to buy with her own money (Victoria had been talking about wanting to purchase one for the last couple of  days. We understand the orphanages give them a few Yuan - Chinese currency - every month to spend as they please. It's not much.) She wasn't sure if we, as her parents, would permit her to spend any money, but our friend told her it would probably be "O. K." (which it was). After some successful interchange with the street vendor, she meekly, but proudly gave it to Victoria. That was a cherished moment in the day, and yet another milestone I'm sure we'll remember for a long time to come.

Here's another interesting moment to share with all of you.  As you can imagine, Xiao Qian's getting an awful lot of attention around here, not just by us, but especially by our friends who speak her language. She's so gregarious and at ease with people, even adults, that you almost forget sometimes that you're hanging around with a thirteen year old. Well I guess at some point in the evening tonight, after dinner and while we were walking around the lake, she made some kind of jesting, but disrespectful-to-adults comment (perhaps the third time today), that caused my friends to warn her that if she said it again they would take one of her trinkets away that she also purchased with her own money. (This might be one of the first boundaries put on her in a long while, and we appreciated them doing this for us because how in the world are we to know what she's saying?) Well, sure enough she slipped again and let out that word, and our friends told her to had over the trinket. I don't think she really thought they'd do it, but they did (we asked them to follow through), and it sort of humbled her there for awhile. This was a good thing, and we're grateful that our friends love us enough as family to do what those in family communities ought to do - look out for one another.  Xiao Qian is fine, and better for it we're sure.

Xiao Qian did mention to our friends today that she's a little frightened to move to the United States, fearful that she'll be all alone and behind in school. They explained to her that it's natural to feel this way, and that knowing us as they do (we, the parents and the Kruggel family), all will be fine. We know all will be fine, indeed, but not because of us, but rather because of God. As such, she'll need tons of care, affection, love, prayer, and understanding. We cannot let what looks strong on the outside mask what's needed on the inside.

Tomorrow we spend another day in Guilin, and we are hoping and praying for more intimate conversations that will draw all of us closer to one another and also break down walls of fear that might not have many more chances for demolition after we leave the country.

Wan an (Good-Night),

Good-Night/Good Morning from Guilin

Flying can be such a scary thing to do, unless you're Xiao Qian, who's never been on a flight before mind you. She was so excited to hop on that airplane and experience it taking off (you could just see it in her bones that were almost literally jumping out of her skin). There's a lot of anticipation built up around flying, even for those of us who are experienced at it. Unfortunately the anticipation was centered around "hurry up a wait", a familiar theme around here. Once we got on the airplane, poor Xiao Qian had to wait another 45 minutes for a delay in taking off, so we decided to fall back to our old stand-by, playing Crazy-8's. No sooner had we played a few games (with Xiao Qian winning, of course), we folded our hands because the time to pull away from the jetway had come. We taxied out to the runway, the engines wound up, and off we went. When the plane lifted off for Guilin, she had this huge grin on her face, and then she whispered, "Wow". That was a joyful sight, and of course another "first". (We later found out through one of our friends in Guilin that she wasn't feeling too good on the airplane, so we bought her some motion sickness pills for the trip back to Guangzhou in a few days.

Our day was completely packed with catching up with old friends (several flew down from Beijing to be with us) and running from one activity to another. Guilin is beautiful, quaint and quiet, quite the opposite from Guangzhou. We caught up with our previous Guide from our adoption with Willow (yes Zoe, it's XiXi), and after picking us up at the airport drove us straight to her lovely home in a nearby village where we munched on another remarkably prepared home-cooked Chinese meal. Tastes nothing like what we get in America, and I mean nothing (I'm complimenting the food in China, not the United States in case there was any question). After checking into the hotel, all of us (with our friends) hiked and hiked, toured and toured, and ate and ate. They all loved Xiao Qian. They simply cannot believe how at ease and confident she is - joking, laughing, skipping, teasing, etc... The hardest part for us (Victoria and me) in the midst of all this bliss is the communication bonding happening with all of my Chinese national friends that we simply cannot partake in. And to be perfectly candid, there have been times when tinges of jealous are aroused, exposing the ugliness of my heart while surrounded by love, joy and unity. "Wait a minute, she's MY daughter and I want to connect and communicate with her!" Nobody is doing anything wrong except me. So I quickly slap that idiotic and sinful thought down and move on.

But here's the best part about today:  Up until now we've spent the entirety of our time here in China trying to learn about and invest into Xiao Qian's life. That's why we came, and that's the way it should be. However our friends gave Xiao Qian a little glimpse into our lives that she'd never had until now (other that what we've given her, which is less than ideal given the communication barrier). Their ability to speak Mandarin with her (by the way, she's bi-lingual with Cantonese as well, a language that's ten times harder than even Mandarin, so I'm told), and explain who we are, a little about our family, etc... was no doubt the best gift God gave to us (and her, whether she realized it) today. Serves as a perfect juxtaposed position against my envious thoughts earlier.

A hard part about today? We've been gone for over a week now, but it feels like a month (so much has happened in our lives in such a short span of time), and with that comes home sickness. That's home sickness not for the home, but for the home full of what homes are full of, family and love. We miss Austin, Meagan, Annie, Barret, Poppy and Willow so much, and we've just hit the halfway point. We also just want them all to share in the exuberance of their new sister as soon as possible. All in due time, all in due time.

For now, I am enjoying this moment writing this journal with two of my girls flanking me in their beds, all snuggled up.  Soon enough we'll all be snuggled together, probably and eventually all in the same bed.

(PS:  It's been very difficult to send information from China. Pictures are not attaching or going through, multiple blog posts are sent, or not sent, so please bear with us as we try really hard to navigate around all of this. In fact, this post is not saving, so I cannot send it (and may not be able to until tomorrow.)

Good-night/good morning from Guilin,

Test

Sorry folks, I'm sending through a test e-mail to Blogger because I'm receiving all of these messages that nothing's going through. 

Disregard, and thanks for your patience.

Warmly in Christ,

Just In Case

Dear Ones,

We're not one hundred percent sure our pictures posted last night since we cannot see the blog and the "sent mail" message looks a little different than usual (there's nothing usual over here), so we're sending the pictures again, just in case. Sorry if it's a repeat performance.

Also, we thought you'd like to read this blog comment, copy and pasted, from one of Poppy's friend's mother in Lafayette.  This lifted our spirits and put a grand smile on our face.

"I wanted to check in today to give you a peek through a window back home.

I was lucky enough to spend the afternoon with Poppy, having gone on the field trip to the Lawrence Hall of Science with Room 5. She fearlessly pet a snake, dove, rabbit, and turtle, and climbed to the top of and slid down (with some help) a life size model of a whale. She was giggling with her friends at snack time and was her usual thoughtful and funny self. So enjoy yourself, knowing that while you are undoubtedly missed, it's business as usual at home.

Serena"

We love you and cherish your support throughout our journey,

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Just In Case

Dear Ones,

We're not one hundred percent sure our pictures posted last night since we cannot see the blog and the "sent mail" message looks a little different than usual (there's nothing usual over here), so we're sending the pictures again, just in case. Sorry if it's a repeat performance.

Also, we thought you'd like to read this blog comment, copy and pasted, from one of Poppy's friend's mother in Lafayette.  This lifted our spirits and put a grand smile on our face.

"I wanted to check in today to give you a peek through a window back home.

I was lucky enough to spend the afternoon with Poppy, having gone on the field trip to the Lawrence Hall of Science with Room 5. She fearlessly pet a snake, dove, rabbit, and turtle, and climbed to the top of and slid down (with some help) a life size model of a whale. She was giggling with her friends at snack time and was her usual thoughtful and funny self. So enjoy yourself, knowing that while you are undoubtedly missed, it's business as usual at home.

Serena"

We love you and cherish your support throughout our journey,

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Just In Case

Dear Ones,

We're not one hundred percent sure our pictures posted last night since we cannot see the blog and the "sent mail" message looks a little different than usual (there's nothing usual over here), so we're sending the pictures again, just in case. Sorry if it's a repeat performance.

Also, we thought you'd like to read this blog comment, copy and pasted, from one of Poppy's friend's mother in Lafayette.  This lifted our spirits and put a grand smile on our face.

"I wanted to check in today to give you a peek through a window back home.

I was lucky enough to spend the afternoon with Poppy, having gone on the field trip to the Lawrence Hall of Science with Room 5. She fearlessly pet a snake, dove, rabbit, and turtle, and climbed to the top of and slid down (with some help) a life size model of a whale. She was giggling with her friends at snack time and was her usual thoughtful and funny self. So enjoy yourself, knowing that while you are undoubtedly missed, it's business as usual at home.

Serena"

We love you and cherish your support throughout our journey,

11 attachments — Download all attachments   View all images  

IMG_7138.JPG 761K   View   Download

IMG_7144.JPG 911K   View   Download

IMG_7147.JPG 690K   View   Download

IMG_7152.JPG 1023K   View   Download

IMG_7157.JPG 1034K   View   Download

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The Moment We've Been Waiting For

Our heads and hearts are so full right now I don't know where to start. From waking to sleeping, we've gone none-stop reversing time to prepare ahead. For Xiao Qian it was a moment in time that will have greater significance with the passing of time.

The morning began with our traditional breakfast (for Xiao Qian that's noodles, and for Victoria and me that's eggs, toast and coffee, juxtaposed beginnings that broaden as the day goes on). We then had Xiao Qian's TB (tuberculosis) test checked, and it turned out to be positive. Only a momentary scare though because after her x-ray it turned out to be negative. We then quickly scooted off to Dongguan, the city where Xiao Qian is from (about an hour and a half drive south from Guangzhou), and went on a whirlwind tour to absorb more than our weak little minds could comprehend.  The orphanage where Xiao Qian is from was our first stop. The physical facilities were quite pristine, and I'll leave it at that. Xiao Qian was clearly loved by the other orphans who lit up when she walked in the room. Lots of laughter and jesting filled the lobby, and Victoria and I just soaked in watching our new daughter in what was her element (being with people). There's so much to write about the orphanage, but (again) I'll just leave it at that (maybe in another post).

We then headed over to her friend's place (which is also a whole other post, which I cannot write about in detail here), and witnessed a remarkable reunion with lots of glee and fanfare. Again, Xiao Qian seemed to light up the area as love is so clearly evident among all those girls (orphans) who spent so much of their lives together. After enjoying a wonderfully home-cooked Chinese meal together (better than most anything we've had in restaurants around here), we took the local bus over to Xiao Qian's apartment that she lived in with other fostered children. (I know, all of this probably sounds really confusing - orphanage, friends, foster parents, etc... Again, I'll have to try to explain it in more detail at another time.)  I will not post any pictures of where she stayed most of the time (although I have them), but may perhaps on a later post after we return to the United States. Although it was at this spot that I witnessed what I was longing to see most on this trip (not knowing if it would happen while in China or not, and certainly not this soon), Xiao Qian's first initiation of physical contact with Victoria. As we walked up to the apartment she linked arms with her as I followed along from behind. I took a picture to capture the moment. (Ironically, I had just mentioned to Victoria last night that I cannot wait for that moment when she'll reach out to us with a tangible sign of affection, and sure enough it came less than 24 hours later.) I could tell that touch struck a chord in Victoria's mothering heart that will be remembered forever.

We left there and went for a long walk through various parts of Dongguan where Xiao Qian traipsed most of her life. She'd walk 40 minutes to school everyday (and back), the equivalent of those stories from our parents about walking through the freezing cold, in snow, with soaked feet. I do now have a real appreciation for how tough this little girl is.

About 6:00 p.m. or so we went back to have dinner at a house with all of her friends. And let me tell you, it was quite the reunion. There must have been twenty people there, of various ages, doting on her like there was no tomorrow. This girl is not lacking in the love department. What she's lacking in is the family-department, as all of these sweet girls are that long for one. Before they arrived I was able to use someone's computer and check out just a few of my 100's of unread e-mails. I didn't get into more than three or four before the girls all walked in the door. Xiao Qian then worked her way over to me, followed by about six of her friends and put her arms around my neck while standing behind me as I was typing. I think she was proud to have a Baba (and a MaMa), being careful not to "show off" as the other girls might get hurt, but yet at the same time wanting to send us, her and everyone else a signal that "I am now a part of a family". That was the moment I was waiting for, and shall also remember it forever.

We sang songs, prayed, and said some rather heart breaking good-byes with lots of tears by lots of people, and then headed back to Guangzhou. We're now all a little sobered by the day's events, trying to put all of the pieces together, which just simply isn't going to happen overnight. Buried in grace, we shall sleep peacefully in preparation for our excursion to Guilin, China. (Click on link: Guilin, China) This shall be Xiao Qian's first airplane flight (there will be, and have already been, many firsts for her this week, as with us).

As always, we thank you for your prayers, facebook and Blogger comments, and tender, loving support. What a great and awesome God we serve. (BTW:  I hear the kids are feeling better back home, so for that we're also grateful and so appreciate you doting over them with prayers lifted up.)

Savoring the moments,

Another Best Day of Our Life?

Psalm 100

"Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.
Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
Know that the LORD Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving,
And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name.
For the LORD is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting,
And His faithfulness to all generations."

This is how we just ended our day, reading (out loud and together, mind you) Psalm 100. Whether Xiao Qian understood any of what was read is really irrelevant as far as Victoria and I are concerned, because the Spirit within us is almost leaping out of our skin (no exaggeration, really) singing this Psalm of truth and praise. And after reading this Psalm, the three of us sat on the bed, held hands and then prayed together. Victoria kissed her sweet little hand, and we said, "Wan an" (good-night). Right now I can hear fiddling around in the suite getting ready for bed. Sometimes it's just the simple sounds that bring so much joy.

Victoria is laying in the bed next to me and wanted me to tell you all this, "Today is one of the best days of my life." "Do you really want me to write that, Honey?", I asked. She didn't hesitate for a second to tell me to tell it like it is. I've heard her say this on about a half dozen occasions during our more-than-a-quarter century of marriage, and they've always been announced at the sweet spot of connection with either our children or me when you just  know the Lord is flooding kindness over our cup like a champagne class overflowing with bubbly.

Let me share just briefly a few of the highlights of our day (day three) today. First, after enjoying another nice breakfast together, we took a taxi over to the pearl market (just the three of us) and we spoiled Xiao Qian with a pearl necklace and some matching earrings. You should have seen her face light up when we put the pearls around her neck after they were strung. I'm tellin' ya what, the glee in that little Southern China-girl's face melted my heart (check out the photographs, attached). At that moment she could have asked me for anything and I would have given it to her. Sound like another relationship, only on an entirely different plane?

We then enjoyed a nice lunch together eating nothing but vegetables, and man were they good. You'd have been proud of us westerners working our way through the crowded foreign streets of Guangzhou all by ourselves (granted, we did have a native with us, but her ability to translate is "not so good', as she likes to say). The most tender moment of that meal, and a milestone in our minds, is when she poked the desert fruit with a toothpick and with a hearty smile handed each of us a piece of melon before she had hers. You could just tell it brought her joy to give us a little something from her own hand (little does she know she's already given us more than we could ever ask or dream).

We then went to the Police Headquarters and received our official papers memorializing that Xiao Qian is now a Kruggel. Sounds strange, doesn't it? You know, an American-German name mixed with Chinese. It is what it is, and we're now a family of eight. Unbelievable, that's all I can say.

We later came back to the hotel, played cards, went out to eat, and then played more card games after we got back.  A few tender moments of the evening came when Xiao Qian asked (with peering interest) what Victoria's hobbies were. It was the first time since we've had her that she's gone out of her way to get to know us just a little deeper. To me, that was a light-year advancement and my heart leaped when I heard her pose the question to her MaMa. The next significant moment came when we arrived at the hotel room and she immediately grabbed the playing cards, skipped (that's right, skipped) around the bed, jumped on it, knocked her shoes off and looked at me with a big grin on her face, like, "Let's get going here - we have the whole evening to have fun together." The three of us then played countless games of Crazy 8's, Go Fish, and War (that's about the extent of our card game repertoire). She managed to whip us at all three games (which lasted until about 11:00 p.m.), and laughed hysterically at our losses. All the while, her English skills were blossoming right before our eyes, and we're seeing that she knows and understands more than she initially led on.

Here are some other things we learned about our new daughter today:

• Her favorite colors are (in this order), pink, yellow and blue.
• She's very generous, giving Victoria her last piece of candy this evening (a sign that has more significance to it than meets the eye).
• She likes sports, and is a long-jumper in school.
  
• Her comfort level with children amazes us - she'll go out of her way to be near them, hold their hands or kneel down at their eye level to smile at them.
• She's got a laughable, confident, fearless spirit about her that rocks the both of us back on our heels. This girl is good for the Kruggel family.

Tomorrow we go to her home town to visit the orphanage and some other friends of hers. She's giddy with excitement about that, and we're curious to see the real Xiao Qian (as if it could get much better) in her comfortable environs so we might know better what it could be like with her months, and maybe even years down the road. I suspect we'll get back late tomorrow night.

Our kids back home (at least Austin, Meagan and Barret) are sick. We're so bummed they're not feeling well, and just hope they recover swiftly and that Poppy and Willow do not also get sick. If you think of it, please pray for all of  them. We miss them so much, and our hearts ache knowing we can't be in two places at one time, also caring for them in their illness.

Signing off again - tired, exhausted, and whooped, but o' so full (bao), satisfied and content.

Yet another best day,