HOME SWEET HOME!

What an incredible journey...30+ hours of travel: Hanoi to HongKong, HongKong to LA (13 1/2 hours), LA to Dallas, Dallas to LR. (and LR to Conway---WOW, he didn't like that carseat..the first he'd ever seen of one...) There were countless checkpoints, customs, immigration...it all ran together. Somewhere in there a fairly pleasant man handed Brian some paperwork and congratulated us on Sam now being a US citizen. Woo-hoo!
We shared the trip with the O'Connors, who had all the same fun with Liam and Ben. We couldn't have asked for any better travel buddies! And my parents, well...how could we have done it without them? Well, we couldn't have. They were perpetually stepping up during our struggles--claiming luggage when we were stuck in immigration so we wouldn't miss our connection, entertaining Zoe or Ben or Sam depending on what we needed. And aside from their help, it means so much that they endured the journey to get a better idea of Sam's world. Pictures and words just can't seem to capture the experience fully.

Had a terrific surprise at the Dallas airport...my sister Stacy and her family just moved to the Dallas area (Heath) last week. We had abandoned hopes of her being able to see us during the connection due to time constraints getting us through security, etc. Well, we walk off the plane and there she is! She had bought a one-way ticket to Minneapolis just to be able to get to the gate area and meet her new nephew and visit with us! She brought little goodies for the kids, and thanks to sweet Aunt Stacy who brought Smarties for Sam to try, he had a giant sugar high that kept us (and the rest of the plane) entertained until we landed in LR.
What a warm welcome at the airport from so many friends and family! Luckily, Sam was still up from his Smarties high, and we had our Starbucks buzz from Dallas, so we were all, at least temporarily, UP for the occasion! The crash came later...

Mimi and Poppy, Brian's parents, held down the fort here while we were gone, and had the most scrumptious food stocked in the fridge when we came home. Thanks to them, our dog, the fish, and my lemon trees all looked happy and healthy when we returned!

Trying to recover from jet lag and regain our footing today. Sam is perpetually stuck to my hip--happy about that attachment! And he's eating like a wildman...we got Mexican takeout last night (surprise..we were giddy about real chips and salsa) and I suspect Sam would have chowed on that too, if he hadn't fallen asleep at the table. Lots of adjustments ahead, but we're happy to be making them!

Mommy! We're GOING HOME!!!

It's official! We have Sam's visa in hand as of 4:30 this afternoon! We also have airline tickets that tell us we'll end up home in LR at 8:20 Saturday morning, AA flight 3735 from Dallas. We'll have to take their word for it, because we'll likely be in some kind of psychotic stupor by that time, and we might be in Peoria without realizing it! Strangely, we arrive in LA before we leave HongKong by reading the clock. I suspect, however, it won't feel like it!

Happy happy day! We're ready to get Sam--and ourselves HOME!

More Hanoi, more Mexican food hallucinations...

We've had two nice, slow, lazy days, if anything in Hanoi can be considered slow. We've spent time at the pool with Zoe and Sam (and Ben, with Liam happily supervising). We've gathered up food from a local market (Dad and I tried our best to pretend we were in some Rick Steves documentary..getting a taste of the local flavor, as he says. It really didn't work too well. It looks so quaint and charming on the Travel Channel because YOU CAN'T SMELL THINGS ON TV.) In any case, we bought milk in little cartons that were sitting on the hot sidewalk (what's up with that? It tastes ok, but why do I have to keep my milk in the fridge at home?) We later discovered a very clean supermarket in the same building as our hotel later. Ah well. Rick Steves would have been proud of us...

Later in the morning, Mom and Dad and Brian visited the Hoa Lo Prison, aka the "Hanoi Hilton", where John McCain and others were held captive during the Vietnam war. Our hotel is actually on the grounds of most of the old prison grounds. So very sad, the stories contained there; so surprising how enduring the human spirit can be.

We ventured out in the late afternoon to stroll around the lake and went to the water puppet show, an absolute hit with Sam and Zoe. Sam clapped and stood up and was just captivated by the music and the puppets. The water puppet show is a traditional form of Vietnamese entertainment. It was a bittersweet moment for Brian and me--Sam enjoyed it so very much. We are taking him to a new life, a great life, but he is giving up something too: part of his heritage. We hope to help him preserve his pride in his people--people we have observed to be hearty and resilient, and with warm, generous hearts.

We had a pleasant morning with another Conway connection! We fortuitously were able to link up with our friend Lance Kershner, who lives and teaches in Singapore. He adopted Samantha, a beautiful little Vietnamese princess, about a year ago. We got to know him through his parents, patients and friends of ours who shared his story with us before we even embarked on OUR Sam journey. They all happened to be in Hanoi these two days visiting Samantha's orphanage, and we were able to introduce Sam to Sam! Special moments!

Brian and I were able to stroll around some of Hanoi this evening without our dear sweaty children stuck to our hips. Zoe and Sam didn't seem to mind us slipping out for a couple of hours, as they had full grandparent attention. We enjoyed the evening: amazing art galleries, charming shopowners, and of course, the scooters.

Sam is continuing to settle in with us. He is a really happy kid much of the time. Lest I paint too rosy a picture, his heart-wrenching crying episodes still punctuate the day...often precipitated by either a minor disappointment or even nothing we can determine, he just cries inconsolably, almost in his own little sad world, for 10 to 15 minutes...then seems to gather himself together again, or falls asleep. It is so terribly different than the 2-year-old tantrums I had with Zoe. It's just heartwrenching. I can only imagine the frustration and confusion his mind must have. We just love on him and know it will get easier for him. We look forward to being home and giving him a routine.

All things look good for our departure here on Friday night! We have our visa interview tomorrow early afternoon, and are supposed to be able to pick it up at 5 pm. If all things work correctly, we should be home to LR on Saturday morning! YIPPEEE!!!!

Our Hanoi Home.

Whew! What a day! We just got checked into our hotel here in Hanoi--the Somerset. It is a very nice place, and after the man came and fixed our air conditioner, it seemed MUCH nicer. Zoe had no complaints because she was asleep all the way from the airport.

So, a first for Sam, flying in a plane. He seemed to do just fine...I think the high altitude made him giddy and happier! He was an entertaining little card for most of the 2 hour flight. Or perhaps it was his new-found love: a giant can of Planter's cashews. The kid has munched on them all day long, and seems to have such joy from having them handy. At some point he discovered that he could put a few "spare" cashews in the front pocket of his overalls, and all afternoon you could see him reach in and grab a little snack. We'd heard of this "food hoarding" phenomenon that is fairly typical for orphanage kids, but it is really something to witness first hand.

Yesterday was a good day--we hung out with the kids in the morning at the hotel. Very strange, calling them "the kids". We've always had "the kid". It feels great to say it! (fast forward a little while: Hey, do you think my parents will keep the kids this weekend? ha) We sent Mom and Dad out to experience the town, and they had an exciting rickshaw ride around town. Mom looked a bit weary when they returned...so of course we let them have a relaxing afternoon in....with the kids. In the afternoon, I took Brian to experience "the market". I really expected him to be disinterested (even though it was a a cultural experience, it was still SHOPPING, not a popular thing with him). HOWEVER, he surprised me! The guy haggled with shopkeepers for watches, snake wine (!), and all variety of other items...I hate to admit I really had a hard time keeping up with him.

We had a dinner planned with Dillon staff and all of the traveling families last night. It was a beautiful restaurant, and there was lots of authentic Vietnamese cuisine. Sam used the chopsticks much more skillfully than I could manage (did they teach him this at the orphanage?) We didn't last terribly long...somehow, little kids and an organized evening meal just don't end up making for a relaxing dining experience.

This morning, I spent the morning hanging out with the kids in the room, trying to pack. (One might ask, where was Brian? The guy went BACK to the market...apparently my dad had experienced the fresh meat side of the market and told Brian about it, and I guess he felt like he had missed out on the visual and olfactory experience there. Because of this experience, I believe my dad is now considering the positive aspects of vegetarianism.) There was this one fairly brief but sweet time in the room this morning where Ben and Zoe were coloring in their coloring books on the floor, and Sam was arranging bathroom toiletries. They were all lined up so happily on the floor playing together. Sweet, sweet, sweet!

The flight here was fine, but did anyone ever mention how flying with two kids is infinitely more complicated than one? The two hour flight was just fine, but we kept thinking: HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THIS FOR A 15 HOUR FLIGHT? EEK!

Tomorrow I think we get to take in the Hanoi sights a bit--I believe our visa interview is Thursday. Loc, our nice Dillon staff member here, feels fairly sure we'll have the visa in hand Thursday afternoon...so MAYBE, just MAYBE we might get to come home a few days earlier. We'll see! Hanoi exploration tomorrow.

Thanks for everyone's prayers and kind thoughts! We are hallucinating about Mexican food....

Sensory overload!

OK, more for us than for Sam. HE seems to be doing just super. We're still reeling from a day of sensory overload, otherwise known as: the MARKET. What a crazy fun day we had!

We woke up to a little boy who seems to be feeling much better. I mean, MUCH better. It is amazing to see this little guy open up and show us his personality, little by little. This process seems to be facilitated by the antics of Ben and Zoe, who quickly taught him the joy of jumping on the bed (Yes, well. We'll unteach bad habits later. It was just so darn CUTE!)

First thing this morning after breakfast,Brian went with the other husbands to pick up Sam's new passport, and Mom and Dad and Sam and I headed for a walk to the open air market. We browsed along the shops on the way there, and were so well entertained. Scooters have this ability to be everywhere: driving down the sidewalk, parked IN shops, etc. We found one of the most precious linen shops with cute little embroidered everything and, of course, helpful staff! Then we meandered some more, ending up at the market: narrow aisles and stacks and piles of, well, everything: clothes, trinkets, purses, and food. Lots of strong-smelling food! No square inch wasted in this place: At one booth we saw people having their nails done at the same place they were selling shrimp. Nice combo! Everyone so very anxious to sell you things, and it was a little overwhelming for the munchkins, and Papaw.
So I brought Sam home, and Zoe came back shortly with the grandparents. She was quite happy with her purchase of a little Vietnamese doll and a lovely fan.

We got back and Brian took over for a couple of hours for Zoe/Sam watching--Mom and I went back and did some serious shopping. What a fun time! We ran out of energy, which, to those of you who know us, is really saying something.

Sam napped a bit this afternoon. He's doing great most of the time. Happy, giggly, easy-going. Who would have known a ziploc bag and plastic cups would be so darned fascinating? He has had a couple episodes we struggle to interpret--anguishing, back-arching crying spells, that usually turn off as quickly as they arrive. We aren't sure if they are related to his tummyache yesterday, or if they are part of his own "sensory overload" that he's experiencing. His sleep is often very violent: tossing about, unable to settle in. Again, we can only guess the cause, and try to love on him till the stormclouds pass.

Funny moment this evening. We ordered him a plate of chicken and veggies and rice. We were spooning it in his mouth, bite by bite, and he started pointing at a little spoon...by the end of the meal, he had moved two little bowls in front of him and was quite adeptly spooning in the bites himself--with his left hand, no less. We had to go get Papaw and show him how his namesake was more and more like him every day: kinda messy, thin hair on top, and a southpaw! Brian has always thought most of my disorganized, scatterbrained qualities he could blame on MY lefthandedness. I'll have to tell Sam he got it "honest"!

I'll try to post some pics in the morning, but it's dark in here and I can't find the camera cable. I better get some more sleep: who KNOWS what adventures we have in store today?

Back in HCM!

What a crazy day yesterday: G&R, then the 8--yes, 8--hour drive back to HCM. The traffic was particularly crazy, apparently, and the rainstorm seemed to make the scooter-dodging more challenging for the driver. He didn't seem particularly stressed, but we saw our lives pass by our eyes more times than we can count!

Sam, however, was quite the trooper! I suspect it was his first ride in a vehicle EVER, but he was really quite calm during the whole trip..handled it better than we did, really. We were so tired when we arrived back at the Rex, and we decided against dinner and just went to bed. He was a little unhappy and tired, but dozed off right away and slept all night!

It was great seeing Liam and Caleb and David this morning, all being held by their proud(somewhat weary)mommies and daddies. Passport photos made (Sam crying, apparently not into the paparazzi photoshoot) He is also having some GI issues, which would make me cry too. Now he's napping, and Brian and Rob have taken Zoe and Ben to play off some energy at the tax center.

What a help Mom and Dad have been to us! They are great Zoe/Ben babysitters when we're trying to decipher some Sam issues. I don't know how we'd make it without them!
Dad's knuckles still look a little clinched after the van ride yesterday...I think he's going to take home some more aggressive driving tactics he learned.ie, passing on the right is totally fine, and passing into oncoming traffic, also totally fine, as long as you beep your horn first... The horn beep seems to have magical protective powers. Amazing!

I'll try to post some pics...we're doing better than Tricia in the technology department right this minute, because apparently Ben has taken their computer apart. I mean APART, as in, little letters and other bits were lying on the coffee table. I'm thinking the older siblings are enjoying the diversion of attention a bit! Zoe has watched more videos in the last 3 days than her whole first 5 years combined. She's loving THAT side effect of sisterdom!

Greetings from Ninh Thuan!

Hello, everyone! What an absolutely amazing last couple of days! We traveled yesterday all day to get here, and it was an experience in itself. It certainly gives us a perspective on Sam's homeland and where he started in life. We got to the hotel and checked in, and we zipped over to the orphanage about 4:30 to see Sam for the first time. I nearly had an anxiety attack on the drive there... not from the crazy driving, although that is anxiety-provoking as well, but from the realization that this little guy that we've loved for so many months was going to see us and...WHAT? perhaps not care for us so much? Who knew? Mom and Dad and Brian and Zoe and I all held hands and said a prayer as we made the short trip there. Mom and I were crying, and then....we met him.

He is the sweetest, most mild-mannered and pleasantly happy little peanut in the whole world. He was totally loving us holding him (all of us! Even Zoe!)He was giggly and seemed to take it all much better than we were!

What an amazing experience, seeing everyone's children that I recognized in an instant! Drew, Sadie, Dillon, Joseph, Layne Nhi, Payton, Bennett, Trung..they were all there! I have pics of all of them and stories to go with them.

The nannies were sweet and loving, and somewhat reserved...until I got out the pics of kids who have come home. They went crazy when they recognized pics of Isaac, Izzy, and Alex; they were all so happy that their little charges had gone on to happy lives. It was such an humbling experience being able to witness their love and dedication.

We came home emotionally and physically exhausted. Not so terribly entertained by the really, really loud Vietnamese karaoke going on at the pool outside our window, but we slept pretty hard.

I woke up at 2 am (again) and tried posting some emails and pics to moms, but apparently none of them got through. Please know, girls, that I've got lots to share with you...I'm not sure what's up with my email, but I'll keep trying. Lori, Nadra, Vietmoms, I have so much to tell you!!!

We got to love on Sam again today (guess what? he's STILL A SWEET PEANUT!) and handed out gifts to the kids. (note to future traveling moms: raisins and bubbles will make you an instant hit with all....) We're taking it easy this afternoon, but are excited about the G & R in the morning. We'll make the long trip back to HCM (with our son! did I mention that?)and get back late in the evening.

Just an amazing, amazing last couple of days. I know in so many ways the starting line is right here, but the finish line to GETTING him is so very very sweet.
Thanks for everyone's love and support. We'll keep you posted!

3 am and all is well...

 
You know, when we collapsed into bed last night, we thought we'd sleep forever. But Zoe woke me up at 2:30 telling me that she couldn't sleep anymore, and that she'd already been next door to visit my parents (!), and that she was enjoying wearing her new hot pink slippers she'd bought yesterday at the Tax Center (one word for the Tax Center: WOW.)

So here I am, knowing that today is the day we SEE our son...not in pictures, or in video snippets, or via updates provided by our agency...but in real life. There have been times in this process that Sam seemed very abstract..the paperwork, the delays, the frustrations, often seemed quite removed from a real living PERSON. Yet now, I know we're occupying the same country and the same time zone (although obviously not the same sleep schedule). Pretty heavy stuff. Obviously not the kind of thoughts that lull a mom back to sleep. So as in the case of any mom, I'll occupy myself with minutiae... until the 4 hours pass until we load up the van and head to Ninh Thuan.

Tricia and Rob and Ben have been terrific travel partners! Their previous trip to get Ben has benefited us immensely! Both kids were real troopers, and there were no unanticipated delays with any of our flights. We met up with Betsy and Nathan when we landed at Hong Kong. Nice, nice people--their Caleb is gonna have some neat parents! We also visited briefly with the Cooks (also very nice!), who have apparently taken in Vietnam for the last week or so. They'll all head towards Vinh Long and Can Tho this morning, and we'll head to Sam's province of Ninh Thuan. Then after our G&R ceremony on the 19th, we'll all meet back here at HCM and continue on together to Hanoi.

I love these 2 pics: bookends to a thrilling 2 day journey to get here..early on, Zoe and my parents, fresh and wired up on ice cream, awaiting our departure from LR. Then the last one: the setting is our beautiful rooftop restaurant at the Rex. Zoe would have been so thrilled with this huge plate of french fries, had she only been awake. Who would have thought this "becoming a sister" business would be so EXHAUSTING?

get set.....GO!!!!!

We made it here to Vietnam! We are in Ho Chi Minh City, checked into the Rex Hotel. We made the little jumps between Little Rock, Dallas, LA, Hong Kong and HCM without any real problems...plus our luggage made it, which is nice! Zoe and Ben needed extra exercise at the airports (30-plus hours just wasn't enough to wear them down)..so those moving sidewalks provided that little bit of fun!)
We'll check in soon...just wanted everyone to know that WE MADE IT!
We head out in the morning for the journey to Sam's province!

On your mark...

We're finalizing our packing--well, actually, squooshing things into side pockets, rooting around checking to see if we remembered to pack that "whatever" we meant to pack, and trying to remember all of those things that we said, "Hey, don't let us forget to take (blank)."

These last few days have been a happy blur. We have had two wonderful "surprise" showers that have got us stocked up with all things "boy." Our friends, who have been such a sustaining force through all of this, continue to amaze us with their generosity and support.

Pictured here is one of the thoughtful gestures of my wonderful friends, the Vietmoms. It is a "boy box," assembled by donations from all of them to help prepare me for the challenges of raising, from what I've been told, a totally different creature from our Zoe. Boy, oh boy! I must admit we were woefully under-prepared. Not a Barbie or a fairy or a pink plastic anything in that whole box...but many other strange and wonderful things. We are armed and ready now! Spiderman underwear, balls to sports I'm not even sure I can name, and even a genuine bug jar (thanks, Seth, for your donation!)

We have been overwhelmed and humbled by the kind gestures of our friends. Sam is truly blessed to come home to a community who is so warmly welcoming him. His life thusfar may have been less than stellar, but sunny skies are ahead, buddy.

We're flying out tomorrow early evening. We'll meet my parents and the O'Connors at the airport, and off we'll go. Vietnam won't know what's hit it! Thank you for your prayers, and Zoe would like to add her request for anyone who has traveled before: where are some restaurants with french fries? ha

Spaz mode

We are bouncing around like jumping beans, getting everything ready!
Our flights are scheduled..and amazingly, our dear friends Tricia and her family received the SAME G&R date, although their son Liam is in a different orphanage. SO, we'll all leave out of Little Rock on the same flight, and travel together! She and hubby Rob, her 2 year old son Ben, my parents, Zoe, Brian and I will all get to enjoy the 30+ hour journey together! There may be moments, I expect, that "enjoy" may be a little too strong a word...some moments of the 15 hour LA to Hong Kong flight, perhaps...

We'll leave LR next Saturday evening (June 14th) and arrive in HCM City on Monday the 16th. We'll drive to the orphanage at Ninh Thuan (about an 8 hour trip east)the next morning and meet Sam that afternoon. (WOW!) We'll get a chance to spend time with him and the other dear children all the next day (Ninh Thuan mommies: I've got my list to keep my head straight--I'll take lots of pics and make lots of deliveries!)

Our G&R is Thursday, the 19th, and we'll head back to HCM right after that. Appointments and obligations there for a couple of days (and meeting Liam, who will be returning with his parents) and we'll all fly to Hanoi, for our visa interview. Hopefully we'll all head home on the 1st of July, arriving home to LR the morning of Wednesday, July 2nd.

This is all under the category of "best case scenario", of course. Any one of those steps could hit a snag and such, but...did I MENTION WE'RE LEAVING NEXT SATURDAY?

Hard to take it all in, but happy we're finally moving. Now: Lori, Nadra, other waiting moms...let's get you guys going, too!

Hallelujah!!!

We got it!!! Our I-600 approval arrived last night--we have permission from our government to travel and bring Sam home! We are just elated...more to follow, but just wanted to let everyone know. There aren't enough exclamation points on this keyboard to let you all know how we feel right now--but all of you who have followed with us thus far or journeyed a similar path totally understand or know this feeling. Wow. Just wow.