From Guangzhou to Chengdu

A great breakfast, a not-so-great visit to the doctor (Who really likes to go to the doctor anyway? It must be something we're born with because mankind's avoidance of physicians seems to start at a very early age, as evidenced by Willow's reaction this morning - see picture to the left.), some wonderful playtime in the hotel, a nice walk/nap around the bank of the Pearl River, our first swim with our new family member (and boy does Willow like the water), some shopping with Momma and Willow in the baby-carrier, and a another not-so-great experience at dinner (because Willow had a melt-down and Baba had to take her back to the hotel room to settle her down), pretty much sums up our day. Time flies when you're having fun, and when you're stressed out.

Of course the big news in China right now is not the Kruggel's way to Willow Rae, but rather the devastating earthquake that has hit central China. We're hearing and reading stories already that thousands are believed dead. We've heard from some of our friends back home already, inquiring of our whereabouts and safety. Since we're in southeastern China, we're far from the epicenter and, in fact, never felt the shake. Nevertheless, we're saddened about this disaster and feel for these precious people who are suffering over the loss of so many of their loved ones. If you think to pray for us today, please turn your prayers toward those from the provincial capital of Chengdu.

Tomorrow we'll do a little more shopping, sightseeing and perhaps a visit to the local zoo. We'll take it a little easy since we tentatively plan to go to the abandonment site of our Poppy Mae Zu Qiao located several hundred kilometers from where we are right now. Some of you may know that Poppy is of a minority heritage here in China, known as the Yao people group. They're known for their love of dancing and music, which partially explains Poppy's affinity for the same. Very few foreigners travel to these parts of China where the Yao reside, so we feel especially privileged to take this trek to task. It will be a long day of travel, but hopefully very fulfilling.

We'll keep this blog entry simple and to the point, signing off with a few more lovely pictures from our adventures today (below). We are forever grateful for your love and affection, prayers, e-mails and even a few encouraging phone conversations with family back home.

Until we blog again...

Warmly in Christ,

Tom

P. S. - I particularly enjoyed the sign along the park this morning (see below) that read, "Please do not spit everywhere and litter up. Violators will be amerced with a range of 20 to 50 Yuan."

Happy Mother's Day

It's hard to believe that already one week ago we first were introduced to Wu Hui Xuan and she to us. As strange as that encounter was, today is Mother's Day and we celebrate Willow Rae Xuan Kruggel as a child to her adoptive mother, Victoria, and we simply wouldn't have it any other way. It's certainly been a memorable and will be a cherished Mother's Day for us for the rest of our lives.

Right after posting my "Reflections" blog entry last night and feeling quite contemplative, I hit the hay with Willow by my side. It wasn't long thereafter that she began to be a very wiggly Willow, flopping and turning about every five to ten minutes or so, waking up from time to time, fussing and whimpering, only to fall back to sleep for short periods of time and then cycling into another round of pretty much the same. Needless to state, I was quickly becoming exhausted myself thinking this was going to be a long night, which would then probably turn into a long day. My thinking was right on target because when the dawn of morning arrived, Willow woke up for the umpteenth time and then proceeded to lose her cookies right on the bed. Yes, we truly had a weeping Willow this morning and pretty much throughout the day. She got sick to her stomach again and took numerous naps all through the day. Poor little thing. By supper time, she was starting to feel much better, witnessed by her voracious appetite during dinner and happy attitude until sleep time (notice the picture of her smiling face below).

Barret, Poppy and I decided it would be best to separate from the hotel this morning and let Willow nap with Mom (Victoria agreed, of course), and we went to the Guangzhou Botanical Gardens (some pictures here) with several other adoptive families. Stunning flowers, calm ponds fed by soothing waterfalls and filled with Koi Fish, sculpted shrubberies, and manicured lawns allowed us to bask in the beauty of some of the finest gardens we've laid eyes upon. When we returned to the hotel, I took care of the girls while Victoria worked on more paperwork for the U. S. Consulate.

Tomorrow we'll take Willow to the doctor for a required and routine "medical exam", a standard procedure for adoptive children leaving China. The rest of our day is free, but I'm sure we'll find some fun and exciting things to do here in Guangzhou.

Mom, Happy Mother's Day to you. I love you. Not only are you the perfect Mom for me, but you're also the perfect Grandmother for Willow (and Poppy, and Barret, and Annie, and Austin).

To the rest of you blessed mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day.

Happily in Christ,

Tom

Reflections

It's about 9:00 in the evening on Saturday here in Guangzhou and I have my two little sweet Chinese daughters sleeping behind me on the bed while I type here in the dark. I can hear their soft breathing, especially Willow's as her cleft palate causes her to wheeze a little more than normal. My grown-up Barret (who's been our savior on this trip) and lovely wife Victoria are in the room next door. Cocooned in this serene setting, I can hear the hustle and bustle of night life along the Pearl River, with glitzy neon lights flashing off the waterfront buildings as if it were a clip from the Las Vegas strip. What a contrast! Since none of us are very sleepy, and someone needs to sit by the bedside of these somewhat helpless souls, I thought I'd just journal a few of my deeper thoughts and reflections over the last week or so.

I left the United States about twelve days ago with split emotions between utter excitement and enthusiasm to shear fear and trepidation. On the one hand I was beside myself just thinking of the wonderful joy to give a momma and a baba (mommy and daddy) to just one more fatherless (among the millions) child, with a home and some love, all in the hope of giving away what doesn't belong to us anyway, life. Selfishly (a life-theme I cannot seem to extract myself from), I anticipate that we as a family will no doubt have full cups, with greater measure than what we've ever poured out, even though our cups will be chipped and cracked along the way, sometimes leaking and almost empty. In an odd way, the thought of this often tough, but mostly rewarding commitment makes me happy inside. On the other hand, I feel the tension in my gut when I think too hard about what I might be leading my family into; another sibling (for some, one they won't have a chance to spend much time with), yet another young child that needs enormous amounts of love and attention from a remarkable mother that's already given almost half of her life toward mothering, a financial obligation that will force me into extra years of working beyond our typical and cultural "retirement" period, and an anxiety about whether I'll have the fortitude to hang in there to the end - giving all five (now) of my children and my adorable wife what they need from a dad and a husband well into the future, however long that might be. But when it's all said and done, the first far outweighs the last, thrusting me beyond the uncomfortable into the strangely comfortable. "For we walk by faith, not by sight." (II Corinthians 5:7)

And so, as I am about to lay my head on the pillow for another night, with three of my children beside me, my lifelong partner next to me, and my two eldest almost a straight diameter's length of the world beneath me, I rest in peace asking my sweet Jesus to do for us Kruggel's what only He could do, give us the sufficient grace He promises to help us give away what we cannot keep.

What a wonderful life this is.

Content in Christ,

Tom

Safe in Guangzhou

Ni Hao from Guangzhou.

We left Lanzhou at 8:00 PM, arrived at the White Swan hotel at around 11:30 PM. The flight went very smoothly except for little Willow's 20 minute-solid, "I'm absolutely exhausted but I can't fall asleep" meltdown! Yes, we were the family that everyone in the back of the plane (we were in the front) is SOoooo thankful was not seated near them! When I (Victoria) tried my turn at calming Willow, Poppy had an impressive meltdown of her own and it was pure auditory bedlam! : ) BUT, other than that we really did have a smooth trip down here (2Hour 40Min flying time).

We already miss Lanzhou and feel as if we have left the "real" China. Almost everyone here speaks at least a little English...Starbucks is just down the street, and today we were taken to the Chinese version of WalMart where we stocked up on some supplies for the week. It is inevitable, but somehow sad to see so much Western culture pervading this area. This hotel is THE place adoptive families from the US stay as they await their consulate appointment, the legal conclusion to the Chinese adoption paper trail. Our consulate appointment is scheduled for May 15th, so as additional paperwork is done in preparation for that, we are in a "waiting" mode of sorts with many other families. There must be a hundred families that we saw today... and tonight we heard many babies crying at bedtime. It is a "deer in the headlights" experience for most families as they work at adjusting to a dearly anticipated, but completely "new" child to them. We have been very blessed to have a mild adjustment period so far with Willow. She is blossoming each day and is a relatively easy child with very little crying except for her pre-bedtime meltdowns. The real challenge today has been Miss Poppy Mae! She is so UNhappy to share her Mommy's affections and is acting out with determination. Please pray for our patience, as well as for Poppy's heart to open a bit wider to her new little Mei Mei (sister). We trust that all will settle with time and although we still feel stressed at times, the 22 years of parenting experience comes in handy as we know so assuredly that "this too shall pass".

We can't wait for you to meet our little Willow! She is adorable (may I say as her proud Mama that her pictures simply do not do her justice!) and such fun! How these little munchkins can have their worlds turned SO upside down and adjust with such relative ease, I will never quite understand. But, we thank our Lord who has heard our prayers and has seen fit to bless us with a low-trauma union with our dear girl. He carves out our character through trials and through joy and we rest in His sovereign wisdom and ways.

Annie and Austin, we miss you so much! GBC friends and family, we love and miss you all. Mom and Dad Kruggel, we can't wait for you to meet your new granddaughter...you will fall in love again!

It is a humbling and awesome privilege to be used by the Lord to give a home and a family to such a dear wee one.

With love and gratitude of all sorts,

Victoria

Zaijian to Lanzhou!

It's just about time to say "Good-bye to Lanzhou". In just a few long (I'm sure) hours we're off to Guangzhou, a southeastern city in China (this is the city where we picked up Poppy a little over two years ago) where the U.S. Consulate is located so that we can obtain a passport and visa (among other things) to get our little Willow-tree into the United States. We have a late hotel checkout, will grab a bite to eat, visit the famous Yellow River and other sites in Lanzhou, and then head to the airport. Our flight leaves at about 8:00 p.m., and arrives around 10:30 p.m. or so. We suspect we won't get to our hotel room until about midnight, so that might make it difficult for us to post a blog entry at that hour. So here's our final entry from this absolutely wonderful city in Gansu Province.

There are so many things about this place that we love. We love the people most of all; they're kind, considerate, inquisitive, patient, courteous, hospitable, sacrificial and charming. We've found these beautiful character traits to be consistent throughout our journeys in China, but particularly here. We Kruggel's have a lot to learn from these gracious people. We also love the relative cleanliness of the city; this includes the streets, sidewalks, parks, etc... The terrain is also quite varied. Scalloped hillsides, the rushing Yellow River and the moderate temperatures (which will no doubt drastically change when summer hits) make this place very desirable. Finally, congestion is so far less than some of the other areas of China we've visited; it makes this place very livable. Most of all, we love this place because it's the birthplace province of Willow. We don't know when, if at all, we'll be back. It's sort of sad to let it go.

We leave with fond memories, grateful to our sweet Jesus that the kindness of God has granted such wonderful experiences thus far. The prayers and support of our friends and family from all over have been soothing and uplifting gifts.

We came to Lanzhou with four of our family members, and we now leave with five, soon to be reunited as seven. The family portrait above is obviously missing our lovely Austin and Annie, but it's a joyous reminder of family treasure we have here. A few other photographs below are from our day yesterday.

Huitoujian! ("See you later.")

Tom (for all of the Kruggel's)

Only in China!

China is such a fascinating place! We all love how different it is from the US...the food, the language, the history, the cultural do's and dont's...! We have had several local people simply walk up to us and pick up the girls, touching them here and there, commenting on their skin, their eyes and how we don't keep them warm enough because they can see some skin on their legs! Willow doesn't seem to think it strange to be plucked up by a stranger, but Poppy keeps looking at me like..."aren't you going to do something about this?" : ) I just reassure her that it's OK (because it really IS...).

On the lighter side, as we were sitting down to order our dinner tonight (an interesting task with a huge language barrier), and as Tom is flipping through his Mandarin-English translation phrasebook with one hand and holding Willow with the other, he notices that Willow has had an "explosion" in her pants that was now ON him! He quickly passes her on to Barret who happened to be closest to him and continues on in his efforts at ordering. Poor Barret is mortified (as only a teenage boy could be...) at what has just been handed over to his care! "MOM!" I sweep in to the rescue doing what any Mom worth her salt does best... poop patrol! I grab the wipes (worth their weight in gold in China!) and head off to change a squirming toddler while standing in a "squatty-potty" bathroom shouting back to Poppy who is chasing behind me..."Do NOT come with me Poppy... go back to Daddy NOW!" One small oversight on my part... I hadn't put any extra diapers in the diaper bag. Well, suffice it to say that I may have a new segment/episode to suggest to Mike Rowe's "Dirty Jobs" when I return! (The picture of Tom pointing to his shirt is, well yes, poop...isn't he a proud Papa??)

Well, if you are still awake, thank you for checking in on us today! We feel very dependant upon, and grateful for each of your prayers.

Warmly in Christ Jesus,

Victoria

Can't think of a title!

Hey everyone! This is Barret and my mom is making me do a blog entry.

Well today was another fun day in China. I got to sleep in a little so that was nice. After that we got to explore a nearby museum, one of the 10 best museums in China. It was really neat and I enjoyed it a lot. After we got back from the museum, I went straight to a basketball court where I showed up some Chinese teenagers (haha, well not exactly). I enjoyed playing with them and if I may so myself, I wasn't too shabby. So ya, it was a fun day.

Almost everyone I have told so far that I was going to China asked me how I was getting out of school, so I will just tell everyone. I got all my teachers permission, they cut me a little slack, and it will still be very hard to catch up but it is worth it I think. As you may know, there is a Spanish family here and I am enjoying speaking to them with my skills from Spanish 1, woot woot! Because of this, I am putting off my Spanish homework (I feel it is enough to speak with. :) All I gotta say is that it is really unmotivating to do Spanish homework in China! So that's that. Some things here in China are not bargains. We wanted to buy Poppy an ice cream bar...10 bucks. My dad and I played a 45 minute game of ping pong...8 bucks. I mean, you gotta be kidding me! I guess we make up for it though with 6 dollar shirts and 3 beverages for $1.75.

My new little sister is just amazing. Willow has really liked me since we got her so it is nice to be able to love her knowing she does as well. She is very cute, inquisitive, smart, playful, and as long as she gets her way she is very happy. We have a lot to work on with her stubborn self but she is great!

Well, maybe I will post one more time in the next few weeks. I miss all you guys and especially my friends. Can't wait to come

home but I am really enjoying my time here and not wanting to come home for finals! Although I'm getting like almost 12 hours of sleep every night, I'm kinda tired so... see you later.

Barret

Our Little Peanut

Wow...did Poppy grow overnight? There's nothing like a "new" baby to make your other youngin' look so big SO quickly!

We were very thankful to enjoy another peaceful night of sleep with our Willow. (By contrast, another family in our travel group, from Spain, has had a really rough time with their new 12 month old who has cried the better part of the last three days, poor folks!) Today we visited the Lanzhou Zoo and adjacent park. It was really lovely and the animals were really easy to see as they were not engulfed within a 2 acre environmentally correct habitat. Poppy loved seeing the tigers, bears, including a panda, baby foxes and some stunning birds. But the most spectacular attraction appeared to be, well, US! :) Our double stroller with our 2 girls attracts a literal crowd. I don't think we have ever felt quite this level of celebrity status before! We have had crowds of about 30 Chinese folks gathered around us staring, chattering, pointing... most smiling, some looking perplexed! Some of them follow us for up to 5 or 10 minutes as if they can't quite get enough of this bizarre spectacle. We experienced this on the train as well. As the only foreigners on the 20 hour ride, our presence in the dining car packed in the crowds! They are all curious about Poppy and where she is from. Her features are markedly different from the features of the northern Chinese and they are quite taken with her high forehead, her full lips and her round eyes.

We are really enjoying Lanzhou. It is a city of 2 million as opposed to Beijing at 17 million and it feels less crowded. Barret also noticed that they don't speak as quickly as the people in Beijing. We are here with 2 other families, the family from Spain and a family from Houston, both are very pleasant to spend time with.

We learn more about our little Willow by the hour. She continues to warm up to us and we are enjoying her so very much! Bath time is a favorite time for Willow and she has NO fear of the water! She loves being bounced by her big brother, riding on his shoulders, etc. (All this would have been too much for Poppy in her first few days with us!) It is really difficult for Willow to eat a decent volume of food due to her cleft palate. It is easy to see now why she is such a little peanut. It makes us anxious to proceed with her palate repair at Children's Hospital as soon as we can when she has settled in at home. She simply needs more food and more nutrition in order to grow well. She is a very active peanut however and I will not be resting at home anytime soon! :)

She WILL find and grab anything within her reach and I will need to be on my toes so much more so than with Poppy...this will keep me young, right folks????

Well, hope this wasn't too long..., thanks again for your encouragement and support!!

With love,

Victoria for the Kruggel's