Dan, Phil's boss, came to pick us up about 8:30am on Friday morning. We spent a good amount of time giving hugs and kisses and telling each child how much we love and will miss them. I laid a HAB shirt on Lily's bed to surprise her that morning. She came out of her room wearing it and beaming! I could tell her heart was touched. Phoebe was trying SO hard not to cry, but I wanted her to not bottle it, so I pulled her in my arms and said that I would miss her so much and she finally gave in to the quivering lip and her tears flowed. I sat on the porch and rocked with her while she cried and loved every second holding her.
Titus and Sammy practiced how they were going to hug Daddy at the airport! LOL - which basically meant they played tackle for a couple minutes. Lily bounced back and forth between parents giving the type of hugs that said how proud she was of us and how much she loved us and that she'd miss us. Our usual articulate girl used physical affection this time and just seemed to be soaking it all in. She'd close her eyes and mouth, take a deep breath through her nose and put her arms around us for several moments.
We did a big family hug and then gathered in a circle altogether so Brody could pray. As we were backing out of the driveway, I heard Brody and Jenny telling the kids that they would all jump and wave together while we were driving away. They helped make the leaving a fun, exciting moment instead of a grieving one. The really wonderful thing was that Phil needed to grab something in the house quick and so as I was getting in the car I saw Phoebe's heart breaking and Phil pulled her into his arms for one last hug and it was huge for her. I was so happy to see as we were driving away that she was jumping with the rest of them.
We told them right before we left that we'd put a pile of surprises for them on the couch and after we left they could run inside and find them. I'm glad we did it that way so they could look forward to running inside and not have to make that awful turn to go inside when our car was out of sight. Sammy got a Baymax stuffed toy and Big Hero 6 blanket. Titus got a little stuffed dog toy and a Paws Patrol blanket. Phoebe and Lily both got dolls that had all the travel stuff with them - little passports and everything. We left a few big hero 6 toys for them to play with too.
Dan drove us down to O'hare airport in Chicago. It was a really nice drive. I finally had the opportunity to tell Phil's boss what it means to me that my husband has a boss who shares Phil's value system. It was a pleasant trip and we were so grateful that Dan volunteered to take us down! We got to the airport and thought we were supposed to go to the International terminal. So after stopping by terminal 1 and realizing we were doing an international trip, we drove to terminal 5 where we didn't see any signs for United. Phil got out of the car to run inside to find where United was. The security lady told Dan to move out of the road. As she was saying that, he was able to pull up and parallel park by the T5 entrance. But the security lady saw him a few minutes later and turned on her siren! LOL - he rolled down his window and she said, "WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?!?!" She wouldn't let him answer - she just kept talking. Finally he got a word in and told her that he didn't know where United International was and she said, "WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST ASK ME? ASK ME NOW. ASK ME NOW. ASK ME NOW." It was comical because Dan still couldn't ask her as she was still talking. So much for trying to explain that Phil was inside and he couldn't just leave without him. She said "Terminal 1 and now you need to go." Dan was still trying to explain that Phil was inside and I saw Phil coming while the security lady was telling Dan he needed to get going. Phil jumped in the car and Dan drove away carefully trying not to hit the security car which had basically parked him in. LOL - it was so funny.
We got inside and went to the kiosk for check in. We had to show our visas which meant waiting for a service person to see our yellow screen and come check our visas. Once they did that, we were printing our boarding passes and it logged us out. So then we went through the process a second time. Phil must have put a toe on the scale because one of the bags I'd so careful packed and weighed was at 50.5 pounds. He told me to take a half pound out and put it in the other bag. I pulled out what I thought was half a pound and he didn't think it was, so I pulled out another few things. Phil reweighed the bags and now the one said 51.5. Hahaha! He was so confused how that had happened. We kept changing and reweighing. Finally, we put everything back in their original bags and reweighed. 49.5 and 50 pounds exactly. We figured out that there is a little ramp to roll the bags onto the scale and that Phil's foot must have been touching that ramp as he was weighing the bags. We printed our boarding passes, checked our bags, and then went and got in the security line, which was now basically quadruple the line it was when we got there.
Just as we got up to the front of the line, they opened up a new section that said expedited security. They said not to take off any shoes or remove anything from our bags. We were literally through security within seconds. We went and got starbucks coffees and a little breakfast and settled in to wait for our flight which boarded easily (meaning we got our carryons stowed properly by us and didn't have to look for a spot somewhere far away on the plane to shove our bags).
***written on the airplane***
It was my first time taking dramamine during a flight. In the past, I’ve taken perscription meclezine for severe motion sickness after the traveling, but this time was told to take dramamine during the flight to prevent the vertigo after we land. I took 2 pills before we got on the plane and was basically asleep before we even started taxiing to the runway. I do remember waking up and watching as we took off but only waited until we were a little ways off the ground before letting myself go back to sleep. I woke up at 3 for the meal being served which tastes most like a kung pou chicken with fried rice and then a sweet bean salad and breadstick. I ate the chicken and rice, took a bite of the sweet beans, and ate the breadstick. Then I went back to sleep until 5. I woke up at 5 and took more dramamine and tried to do something other than sleep. I started the Hundred Foot Journey movie on United’s app on the ipad and got about 15 minutes into it and then put it away. I rubbed my face, temples, and neck with vicks for a while to try and relieve the massive headache that had developed before we’d boarded the airplane and then went back to sleep. I woke up at 9. The dramamine sure makes me feel funny - like it’s giving me the jet lag now while I’m on the plane! I sure hope it works to keep me from having the vertigo after we get off. It knocks me out so much that I don’t think I can take it if I need to do anything other than sleep!!! I wonder how I’ll be able to do it on the return flight! Maybe I’ll just need to skip it coming home and then take the medicine for the vertigo once I’m home.
The one thing that I want to remember about this flight though is the ABOVE AND BEYOND thing that God did. I told my friend that the only thing I was concerned about with the flight to get Jemma was how I’d be able to sleep sitting up. I knew I would be tired and need to sleep, and I was nervous about that awful feeling where you desperately want to sleep but can’t get comfortable. It kind of gives me that restless leg syndrome and makes me feel crazy inside. Well, I have an empty seat next to me. This means I have room to LAY DOWN and sleep and have TWO pillows to help make it doable aleviating any of the hard pressure of the arm rests. It is AMAZING to me how God has this down to the tiniest details! I’m blown away by His grace, love, and supreme power!
******
We had a smooth landing in Beijing. The last couple of hours of the flight, my stomach was upset, but I've been fine since landing in Beijing. We picked a shorter line to get through Immigration and then went and claimed our baggage. Then we went to the domestic transfers area and rechecked our baggage and caught the train to get to T3 for our flight to Nanjing. We were there with time to spare easily and Phil went and found a starbucks so I could have something to eat and some coffee. I'd slept through so much of the first flight and didn't eat the second meal offered. We were sitting drinking our coffees and a girl sitting next to us (age 15) waved at Phil and said hello. She wanted to practice her English. It was SO cute. She would scratch and scratch her forehead when she got nervous and couldn't remember the words. She asked where we were from and where we were going. We carried on a conversation with her all the way up until our plane was boarding. Her mom wanted her to take her picture with us so we did that while we stood in line with them. They were so sweet and thought our kids were all cute. I think it was hard for them to understand that Sammy was adopted. When they saw his picture, the man and the girl's friend were clearly discussing that Sammy looked like that because Phil has dark hair. I explained that Sammy is Chinese. The girl nodded her head and said it in Chinese to them. We said he's adopted and that we are adopting our daughter Jemma. We got on the plane and they sat right in front of us. While we were getting ready to start the descent, I reached up and gave the girl some hard caramels that I'd had in my purse. She showed her mom and then after a little bit, she turned around in her seat and handed me a beautiful necklace. She said they'd bought it in Beijing and that I was very beautiful and this would make me even more beautiful. I was so blown away by their kindness and generosity! After we landed, the girl said her mom accidentally deleted the picture they took and asked if we could take another one. After we got off the plane, we posed for another picture and they asked if we needed any help. We told them our guide would be picking us up.
(Side note: We boarded the plane a little before 5:30 and then heard that there was a military practice going on so all planes were grounded until further notice. Our in-flight meal was served to us while we were still sitting at the gate. Over two and a half hours later, we taxied to the runway and landed in Nanjing just before 10pm! Our guide said that flights in and out of Nanjing are always delayed but she felt bad that we had been on the plane for nearly 5 hours for a 90 minute flight. Also, I think I like dramamine - it makes hours turn into seconds!!!)
We headed down to baggage and claimed our luggage. The descent on the trip to Beijing and again to Nanjing wreaked havoc on our ears. The pain was so bad it spread into the jaw and down our necks. Having serious congestion and flying - NOT a good combination! While we were waiting for our baggage we were still trying to get our ears to calm down. We couldn't hear each other so I think we looked like a comedy act.
We met our guide, Nancy, just outside of the baggage claim. She was holding a sign that said "Lifeline". She's nice and very tall and thin. She reminds me of my mom and as soon as she heard me talk, she was saying I needed to drink warm water as soon as we got to the hotel and take a steamy bath. She seemed upset that the "cold airplane" gave me a cold. I appreciated her care and did heat up water as soon as we got to our room. I hope my voice is a little more normal before we meet Jemma. She took us to our room at the hotel - I asked her to ask if we could have a non-smoking room. She did, but she said that the non-smoking floor is under renovation and so they are going to give us a freshened smoking room. HAHA! We walked in and that's what it smelled like - a freshened smoking room and I was glad that it wasn't overpowering. She showed us how to get online and how to fiddle with the thermostat. She was upset that it was set to 15 degrees celsius and showed that the room was 25 degrees celsius. We told her we were actually comfortable with that temperature and didn't need it colder. She kept saying that it was fine for Chinese and our daughter but too warm for us. Hahaha. The thermostat still says 25 degrees but Phil changed it to be set at 20 because we didn't want it to all of a sudden kick in and then freeze us!
Nancy left saying she'd be back at 3pm in the lobby to take us out and show us around. She said that there is a Papa Johns, a Starbucks, and a HaagenDas IN THE HOTEL!!! So Phil and I will most likely be doing that for our anniversary! Retro-date to Papa Johns.
Last family picture as SIX
Love these precious kids!
Titus hung his head and put his lip out. I whispered in his ear that I would miss him so much and that I put surprises for him on the couch for him to see after we drive away. He perked right up. :)
Soon to be FOUR girls!
Brody was telling the kids that as we were driving away they'd jump and yell (and also acting as a blocker for any one that would run after us)
I love Jenny in this picture - she looks SO excited to be "mom" for 2 weeks! We couldn't be happier that Brody and Jenny are caring for the kids while we're gone.
O'hare Airport
Dan was so sweet to drive us down!
Me with my surprise sleeping space!
on the plane to Nanjing....... we were schedule to leave right before 6pm. We boarded the plane on time and then finally left for nanjing after 8pm!
Our friend from the airport
Always a special moment walking into the hotel room and seeing the waiting crib!!!
I love it that it's a minty green - as if it would fit right in with Jemma's nursery at home. :)
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