Babies and Baseball

We are seriously amazed at God's sweet hand in bringing us the perfect child for our family! For so long we clung to the hope that our long wait was so we would be given the ideal child at the best time. It was beginning to feel like a lie that we were just telling ourselves to get through and now we have Cali and know that those words were true! Cali is a treasured gift and beautiful blessing!

As we get to know her more each day, we continue to see aspects of each of our personalities in her and pieces unique to her that are so special and fun. Daddy is already grooming her as a super Cubs fan and Investor and thinks it's great that she loves to kick a ball around with him. She cracks herself up and loves shoes (her China squeakers are the current favorite) which is so like her mommy. We, of course, think she's just the cutest and sweetest little girl ever, but that's to be expected...parents prerogative, right?

Cali loves her baby dolls too... She loves to drink tea with them, cuddle, and sing to them. Singing, listening to music, and dancing are some of her favorite things...she is literally captivated by live musical performances and enjoys singing in her stroller and as she plays.

So, the way we see it...Cali will probably be a singer, dancer, shoe designer, Comedian, Portfolio Manager, Chicago Cub, Professional Soccer Player, or all of the above : ) or none of the above. Right now, she has years to decide and we are so excited to see her life unfold. At this time, she's just concentrating on being a toddler and getting adjusted to her new life!






















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Thank You!

One of the most amazing things about our adoption journey has been the unflappable support, timely words, prayer, and love from all of our friends and family. Without your encouragement, our road to bring Cali home would have been nearly impossible to navigate. So from the bottom our hearts, we truly thank you for taking this journey with us! We love you!

Doctor Says

Cali continues to amaze. She had her first doctors appointment yesterday and is a very healthy little (and I mean little) girl. She is literally at the bottom of the charts both height and weight, so has her doctor’s blessing to eat as much as she wants! Honestly, I think Cali would eat all day if we let her...and there seems to be nothing this child won’t eat!

Cali’s new favorite pastime is walking with Mom, Dad, and Scout.

We're Home!

After a long trip home and a few days to regroup, we're all adjusting to life back in Michigan. Cali loves daily walks in her stroller and is getting used to having Scout's wet nose in her face. She told Scout right away that she was in charge with a "No, no Out" to get him away.

She really seems to be settling in very well and we're having fun getting to know her better every day and experiencing life through the eyes of a 19 month old! She is a riot and full of energy and curiosity which is just how she was described by her nannies. She is quiet and shy at first and then a total character once she gets comfortable and we love that she enjoys cuddling with her mommy and daddy too!
















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Heading Home

Today, we travel back home from our excursion in China. It's been a long, emotional, exciting, and sweet adventure. We've had an amazing and surreal time, indescribable really, but are ready to come home. Hong Kong is beautiful and bustling and was a great ending to our stay. We loved walking along the water and the energy of the big city.

We're headed to the airport in a few hours for our long flight home with an active 19 month old; should be interesting!

Here are some pics of our last days in Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Cali is with Zoe, her friend from the same orphanage, in a few photos. We all met our girls at the same time and our families did dinners and hung out a bunch in Guangzhou. We hope to get the girls together again in the future.

We are headed to Hong Kong today, the beginning of our last leg of this crazy journey. It feels as though we have been in China for months and just a few days all at the same time. We will try and post one more time from Hong Kong! BTW...Cali is doing great!

Jolie-Pitts???

So, today we felt like Hollywood royalty. We went to an art and culture center and saw a guy doing calligraphy with his fingers, but the most exciting part was being mobbed by a group of high school students. It started with a few girls talking to Cali and grew into a crowd of 20 or so 15/16 year olds circling us. We chatted about Chinese language, speaking English, and Michael Jordan. Our conversation lasted for about 20 minutes and was very fun. We've been asked for pictures several times before, but this was like Rockstar status interest in us and in Cali.

We are loving our interactions with the Chinese people we encounter all around; everyone is very friendly and intrigued by our family! I had some pictures taken with a group of women at the zoo who got in close and grabbed my hands. We were also stopped at the park and had a picture taken with each a girl and her boyfriend.

Some other funny encounters: a man asked if Cali was my baby and if I feed her...I think he was referring to breast feeding? Bob was asked if Cali was a Chinese baby and if we were going to make her an American? It seems that people are happy that we all are adopting these babies and are going to give them a nice life in the US.

We are especially enjoying all of our new friends here in Guangzhou. There is a real sense of culture and community. It seems like the rich history of China really creates a sense of oneness and mutual understanding and respect. It is very common to see people walking around arm in arm and hand in hand. We truly admire the passing down of traditions from generation to generation and continue to be impressed with the kindness, joyfulness, and pride of the Chinese people.

Our family is adjusting to one another better and better every day! Cali turned 19 months yesterday. She is a little sponge and continues to imitate us constantly! She is at such a fun stage and we are loving watching her take everything in. She just keeps showing more sides of herself...it will be fun to see what she continues to pick up from us and who she is by nature. She likes to be held most of the time right now, but does get down and walk around in our room and has made a couple of treks down the hallway.

We visited the local zoo the other day which was a lot of fun and have been out shopping around and visiting the parks nearby as well. It's beautiful here and the flowers are gorgeous. There are amazing orchids growing all around and the Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom as well. We are enjoying Guangzhou more than Beijing; they're just totally different places. It's much warmer and more western here, but squattie potties are still the rage...not many western toilets in public places...that has been an adjustment!

We have a relaxing night ahead and are planning to eat some Papa Johns with a couple from our travel group. Our daughters are from the same orphanage.

Thanks for all of your continued thoughts and prayers! More to come...