July 8-9, 2010

So, I know I didn't post yesterday, but it was because July 8 and 9 kinda ran together. We left Guangzhou late on the 7th (I think), we stayed in Shanghai for about 12 hours (very few of them were sleeping) and then we flew from Shanghai to SF to Dallas, which brought us home in the afternoon on July 9. International travel is crazy, keeping up with the days while you are traveling is tough. So here are a few pictures of us getting ready to leave Guangzhou.

Xander in a stroller for the first time. We're not sure if he had ever been in one before, but her really liked. Nana and Xander just as we arrived in Shanghai.

On the plane ready for the LONG flight from Shanghai to San Francisco

This was actually the next day at home, but it is the first picture I have of Xander at home, not a good one, but it is what it is. At this point it was a miracle I even knew how to use a camera!

July 9, 2010 was the day our sweet Chinese boy became an American citizen! The process is such that as soon as he arrives on American soil (and successfully passes through customs) he is an American citizen. We joke and say that he was born in China but became a Texan in San Francisco. Sounds like a country song if you ask me!

The first two weeks home were THE HARDEST two weeks of our lives up until that point. Jet lag was HORRIBLE, and it is hard enough for adults to deal with, but when two toddlers are trying to reset their clocks there can be nothing good about that. We lived in a fog for about 2 weeks and then things started to get a little better. It was a good month before we really felt like we had our feet under us.

But, like child birth, you kinda forget how hard it is, because we couldn't be more excited to do it again! In this past year we have learned so much, about our little guy, about ourselves, and about our God. Things we would have never learned without going through the experience of adoption. Thank you to everyone who prayed for us as we waited for Xander, traveled to China to get him and who have continued to pray, we truly know that God answers prayer.