Day 15...

We are bringing home our son!!!  Today is the day that we have been waiting for!  We have honestly been kinda counting down.  Being in China has been amazing.  We have loved learning a little about the culture and getting to try new things, but we are ready to be home.  So until next time China!

We had to leave before breakfast even started, so they made us to go bags for the 2 hour drive.

Jeter at one point felt the need to take up the whole seat...sorry Reese!

We made it to the airport!  

Jeter actually fell asleep while going through security!  We did a little shopping (J and the girls needed Hong Kong souvenirs!), then we were able to board early because of our many children!  ;)

Side rant - we bought 4 big bottles of water in the airport because it was a 12 hour flight.  Well, that was a waste because they made us dump them!  I was pretty ticked.  In fact out of all the crazy situations we had been in over the past 2 weeks, that made me the most mad!  ha!  Don't take my water!

We settled in and my amazing little travelers made themselves at home.  Jeter actually slept until about 1/2 of the passengers had been loaded.

We came prepared this time!  Jeremy mixed up a bottle and we gave it to him once we started our taxi instead of waiting for actual take-off.  He handled this take-off like a champ!

The flight went so much better than I thought it would!  Jeter walked the aisle some, danced some, played, ate lots of snacks, and even slept about 6 hours!

We were all so excited when it was time to land though.  We had a 4 hour layover in San Fran.  So we ate and walked around.  Jeter was great for the first couple of hours, but then the crazy day started catching up with him.  He was tired and cranky and just completely over traveling.  I kinda felt the same way but it isn't quite as acceptable for me to throw myself on the ground and kick and scream!  ;)

We were all pretty excited to finally jump on another plane to take us to Houston with the newest US Citizen!

 I honestly thought that Jeter would take a nap during the 3 hour flight.  He had other plans!  We did the same routine...bottle as we are taxiing out, but he wanted nothing to do with it.  In fact he was super mad.  He pretty much screamed the entire flight.  I could calm him down by standing and bouncing, but unfortunately we had a lot of turbulence and had to stay seated and buckled for like 90% of the flight.  It was rough to say the least.  But then we landed...praise Jesus!

It took a little while to get through, but he was happy being off of the plane!  We came down the escalator to the baggage claim and saw this little welcoming committee!

I was pretty emotional, but held it together until the first person asked how I was doing...then I cried.  It has been an amazing journey.  Mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting...but so incredibly worth it!

We all headed back to our house and were greeted by this!  I mean, we lucked out with some pretty amazing friends here in Conroe!

We visited for awhile but after 10 my eyes started crossing!  We figured it up and we had been up for about 32 hours straight, well Jeremy may have slept a little on the plane!  ;)  So, we started the process of getting everyone settled in for bed and thankfully soon we were in bed too!  

Jeter Liam - welcome home sweet boy!  It has been a crazy road, but I wouldn't change a thing.  It is amazing how God knew the day you were born, that you were our son.  We would travel across the world and back for you!  We are so thankful and grateful that you are ours!  We love you!

Day 14...

Eeeek....if all goes as planned, this is our last day in China!  Tomorrow morning we will wake up ridiculously early and take a van to Hong Kong to catch our flight to San Fran.  It will be bittersweet to leave China, but I think we are all ready to get back to our normal lives.

We started the day with breakfast, and the playroom.

 A little castle dodge ball!

We did have to run to the store because little man is out of clothes and we needed plane snacks because our guy being hungry is not one you want to be on a plane with.  Jeter wanted in the shopping cart car today, which he wanted nothing to do with last time we were there. He had a blast "driving" it around and did not want to leave it! (It had to stay on the children's floor).  I may have actually looked into buying one (knowing that it would have to stay at the hotel) just because I knew how bad getting him out of it was going to be!  

 Here I am trying to coax him out...he is slamming the door in my face! ha!

can you find the stubborn little cutie?!

After about 10 minutes of trying to coax him out, Jeremy just grabbed him and went. He screamed his head off until we got to the 1st floor (we were on the 3rd but groceries were on the 1st) and tore open some chips. Then he was okay again!

He fell asleep on the walk back (like usual!) so Jeremy just ran and picked up lunch (McDs again!) and we hung out until little man woke up.

Then it was pool time!  Helen came by the hotel to bring us Jeter's Visa...we are now good to go home!  yay!  He was gone about 30 minutes and it got a little crazy.  Jeter wanted in the little pool, then decided on the big pool.  So, I made the girls get out of the small and go to the big.  Then he wanted in the small, so we switch again.  Then he wanted to go to the play area, so again the girls had to get out and follow.  Then he wanted back in the pool.  Then he was just done and wanted to leave.  Thankfully Jeremy got back and went to help grab stuff (room key and diaper bag), but got hung up talking with people.  During this time Jeter lost it.  You could probably hear him from all corners of the pool!  That boy has some serious lungs on him!  ha!

  

 I took Jeter up to the room while Jeremy and the girls swam a little longer.  Once the girls got back, it was bath time while Jeremy picked up pizza.  Jeter went down pretty easy, so Ryne and I snuck out to Starbucks! We enjoyed some alone time even if it was late at night. And we didn't even get 

lost so I think it was a total success!

 Ryne has been such a huge help!  She plays with Jeter and is always available for Reese.  I adore this big sister!

Now we are all packed up and ready to load onto a van at 6am to travel 2 hours to Hong Kong and then fly for 13 hours to San Fran, 4 hour layover, then on to Houston. We would appreciate all good thoughts and so many prayers for a good trip!  We are going home!

Day 13...

Today is Consulate day!!!!  This is the day we make an oath to love, protect, and always treat Jeter as our child.  That is an easy oath to make because he IS our child.  I seriously cannot even imagine life without him.  I feel so blessed that God chose me to be his Mommy!

They did not allow electronics or cameras inside so our guide took a couple pictures before we went in.

 They had a little play area for the kids, which helped tremendously!  The whole process was pretty quick (we were there with 4 other families) and we were done in about an hour.  

After that we were able to apply for his Visa! The group that went through on Wednesday had a scare that Visas were going to be delayed. Thankfully it worked out and they did end up getting them on time, super important with travel arrangements!  They assured us that this issue had been corrected. So we left optimistic and headed to a pharmacy to get some baby Tylenol and Benadryl. Pharmacies here are super weird and we were not able to find what we needed with our guide.  I can't believe I forgot those very important things!

We stopped by our hotel to change into cooler clothes and this happened.  Poor guy gets so overwhelmed and sometimes screaming into the carpet helps.  Thankfully, he calmed down as soon as I put him in the Boba.  He really does love that thing!

 We walked to lunch at an Irish Pub that was highly recommended. Lunch was good, but Jeter was crazy!  He was getting tired and honestly just hates to not be moving.  We had the room to ourselves so we just kinda let him run to avoid the meltdown!  ;)

 Food makes us all happy, happy, happy though!

 In China, they teach the kids to do "V" for victory for pictures...so we joined in with Jeter because he does it all the time in pictures!

 Once our bellies were full we walked back to the hotel.  We found another pharmacy and were able to get baby tylenol!  Yay!  Hopefully that will help with his ears.  Jeter ended up falling asleep again on the way back, so we stopped for a fruit tea.  I had been wanting to try one because they looked so refreshing!  Well, they were pretty gross.  I was sad, but then Jeter stayed asleep and I was able to lay down too so that made me happy!  ;)

 Jeter woke up refreshed and ready to go...so to the playroom we went!

 The playing continued in the room...

 Then little man took a real bath all by himself!  He has come so far in such a short amount of time!

We have one more day and then we will hopefully start our journey home!