Today my three guys were taken to the grasslands.

They had an hour and a half van ride to get there, but Blake and Grant both said it was so worth the time traveling!

Tate does very well in the van. They do not use car seats in China, so that will be a new experience once he is home. We are so thankful that Tate does not get motion sick!

Blake said the scenery while they were driving was so beautiful. He said at first it looked like the foothills of Colorado, and then like they were home here in Wisconsin. When they got to the grasslands, it looked more like Mexico.

The fields along the way were full of potatoes, sunflowers, oats, and rape plants. The rape plants are used to make canola. The grasslands area is known for its oat noodles.

When they arrived, there was a toast for all the tourist that had just arrived.

The man with the pony tail asked Grant if he knew Kung Fu. That made me smile!!

The grasslands were full of Yurts – little tent houses that people live in.

When you are the only Americans around, you sometimes draw some attention!

I am so glad I bought and sent these sun glasses for Tate! Blake said he really needed them today. Sorry, Grant, that I forgot to tell you to pack yours!

While they were in the grasslands, they went to watch a Mongolian wrestling match. It is not like American wrestling, because it is all about trying to get your opponent to loose his footing and fall. There were six guys that were in the competition. It was narrowed down to three guys, then two guys, and then there was a champion.

The champion asked for guys from the audience to wrestle him. One guy jumped up to do that and lost. While this was going on, Aggie, the guide, was urging Grant to go up and wrestle the champion. Blake started urging Grant to do it too! Grant said yes, wrestled the champion, and BEAT HIM. Blake said the crowd just went nuts! I asked him if HE was nuts, and he told me “It was ok, honey, I prepped him real good before I sent him in the ring.” Grant had a blast!

Here is Aggie translating for Grant before the match –

Notice his opponent has on red pants.

Grant is standing in this photo, but his opponent is not!

What a good day they had!!

Tate is doing so well! While we were on Skype I watched him play in the bath tub, get his jammies on, drink his warm milk, and then he pointed to his crib. Blake lifted him in, covered him up, and he went right to sleep. I thought my heart was going to jump through this computer screen.

I reminded Blake to use Aggie to the fullest for Tate’s sake before they leave there to head to Guangzhou. I want her to prepare Tate for what this next week will be like. Aggie told Blake that when she talked to Tate, Tate told her he is ready to go. He wants to ride on an airplane!

Aggie told Blake that Tate is in the top 1% of all the adoptions she has helped with in regard to his obedience, how much he has bonded to Blake, and his understanding of this process. This brought us to tears. You all, Blake and I are SO humbled, because we KNOW how many of YOU are praying for our sweet baby boy – and the way things are going are ALL answers to your prayers. Praise the Lord with us, will you?

The guys have seen their last sunrise in Hohhot. As we head to bed tonight, they will be in the clouds on a plane heading to Guangzhou!

Please continue to pray with us for my three guys! One more week until they are home sweet home!!

It has been a beautiful day here on the farm!

The kiddos and I have worked hard today after school, but we enjoyed being outside so much!

My three guys had a good day on their Wednesday too!

Thankfully, they got to get out for part of the day and enjoy some of Hohhot!!

First they visited a museum.

I think this is the outside of the museum! I may have to update some of these blog posts once they are home!

They did not stay there because it was making Tate very afraid.

They also did some shopping and got to see some authentic crafts being made.

Like these beautiful scarves!

Tate took a little snooze in the van. This photo made my heart skip a beat.

The best part of the day was enjoying a Mongolian Hot Pot restaurant. All three of the guys thought it was delicious!!

Tate is doing very well!! We are just praising the Lord at how well he is sleeping, how he is trusting his Baba 100%, how he is using the potty and not having any accidents, how all the new foods have not upset his tummy at all, how he will wear any clothes Blake has put on him and is excited to do so, how much he loves taking a bath and swimming, and how well he is able to communicate his needs with the language barrier.

Our sweet Tate is one amazing little boy. We are totally smitten.

Our cheerful young warrior!!!

Tate is starting to understand some phrases. His favorite is the same one that was Eliza’s favorite. “Let’s go bye-bye!” He races for his backpack that I sent for him, fills it with all he needs, and gets his shoes. It is so sweet!!

The guys have one more full day in Hohhot before they fly to Guangzhou on Friday morning. It is a three hour flight and will bring a lot of change for Tate. He will no longer have anyone who can speak his language. He will be in a whole new hotel, new room, and new bed. The food will be different as well. Please pray for our sweet baby boy. I wish his new forever did not have to start with so much heart ache!

Blake and I kind of had a mini meltdown this morning. We miss each other so much it hurts. Of course the Lord showed up in mighty ways for me today. A package for Tate came in the mail. David came over before he headed to work to do some things for us. A super sweet adoptive mama friend is writing to me many times a day on e-mail. Another sister-in-Christ sent support my favorite way – through the snail mail! Call me old fashioned, but I love getting snail mail. And this sweet friend has the most beautiful handwriting I have ever seen.

The Lord also gave me the great idea to get Eliza’s photo book out that we had sent to her in China! She was SO HAPPY! She has carried it around ALL day, and talks about how Tate and her are going to play with their books, and how she is going to show Tate her book on the “puter!”

Our day here on the farm is wrapping up as the guys new day is starting. I can’t wait till they are awake and we can visit on Skype!!

We are going to scrub the farm dirt off of everyone here, heat up some “must-go,” (Our name for leftovers! Everything must go!), and snuggle in for the night.

The windows are open, there is a wonderful cool breeze, and I know the guys can see the same sun and moon that we are seeing here!!

My three guys had another good day today!

They met the guide at 9:30 to finalize Tate’s adoption!

They did this in a conference room at the hotel.

Tate likes to leave the room, and is not overwhelmed by it at all!

And he is a charmer!

The gal who brought Tate to Blake and Grant on Monday had a traditional Chinese outfit for him today!

She dressed him in it!

What a beautiful gift!!

The paperwork process for the first week is almost done! Praise!

Thankfully, the guys got to get out for a little while. They were taken to Starbucks to buy the only thing I requested for them to buy while in China!

They got a glimpse of the city.

And had lunch at Pizza Hut!

Blake and Grant took Tate to the pool in the afternoon! He loved the hot tub, which wasn’t hot at all. The pool was freezing so they played in the hot tub the whole time!

We spend as much time on Skype as we can! Tate calls me Mama every time!! And always has something to show me!

Eliza was SO excited to meet Tate for the first time! That is why Tate has his photo book out again….he had to find Eliza in the photo book to show us!

As expected, Tate was more emotional today. So much change for one little boy. We want him to grieve, as that is a very important part of his transition.

We were visiting on Skype as Tuesday was coming to a close for the guys. They had tried to go downstairs to the restaurant for dinner, but were not able to stay. The restaurant manager has befriended Blake and Grant, saw that they needed to leave, quickly asked what they wanted to eat, and then sent it up to their room for them!

While they waited, Blake asked Tate if he wanted a bath by pointing to the tub. Tate ran to his backpack, grabbed the toy boat I had sent for him, stripped out of his clothes on his own in two seconds flat and jumped in that tub!! He splashed and played (and got washed!) while they waited for their dinner to arrive.

Tate ate a whole bowl of congee and half a bowl of noodles! Then all the pickles off Blake and Grant’s hamburgers and some of their French fries. Tate also filled his hand with French fries and then laid them under the computer screen to share with me. Precious boy, I love you so much!

My guys are very tired, and I encouraged them to ALL go to sleep early. They did, and got a great nights sleep. Tate still wanted to sleep in the crib, but he wants his Baba very near by.

We just spent a fantastic hour on Skype with them as they started their Wednesday, and Tate had us all cracking up! He is such a sweetheart! And fits in with this crazy crew already!!

Thank you for your continued prayers for my three guys!!

Here in Wisconsin, I had this amazing idea to start full-time school this morning to wisely use our time the next two weeks before the guys got home!

I did not factor in that the incredible excitement about Tate would occupy ALL of our brain space!!

But we have had a good day!

Tate had a GREAT first day.

THE BEST!!

They spent the afternoon and evening in their room.

Even the paperwork, finalization photo of Blake and Tate, and Tate’s passport photo were taken in the room.

When the guide asked Tate to sit for his passport photo, he told her that “this is boring!”

Tate’s personality is ADORABLE!!

The guide told Tate many things before she left them. Blake told her what to say to him. It REALLY helped with their lack of ability to communicate.

I was able to be back on Skype by 6 a.m. this morning! With a strong cup of coffee at my side!!

As Addie, Chad, and Lane woke up, they would each join me at the computer.

(Eliza slept too late to meet Tate this morning!)

Each time Tate would see a new face on the screen, he would stop, put up his hand and count on his fingers!!! SO funny!!!

Tate started to look and act sleepy. Blake asked Tate if he was tired by folding his hands and laying his head on them. Tate shook his head “yes!” When Blake showed Tate his pjs, he shook his head “yes” again. Sweet boy, you are SO precious!!

Waving to his Mama!!! (that’s ME!!)

We were told by the guide that Tate drank warm milk before bed. We are pretty sure it was in a bottle, and I am so sad I did not send one.

Can you say personality??!! Grant held up his hands in a karate move, and this is what he got back!!

Tate’s 24 month size pjs fit him perfectly!

The window ledge is floor level! Tate likes to stand on it. See that colorful book on the right? That is the photo album we sent to Tate last October! It looks well used. What a blessing!

Tate did get a little sad at bedtime, but allowed Blake to comfort him and he fell right to sleep and slept all night long.

I have looked at these photos thousands of times!

The girls took the kids in the pool this afternoon to allow me to rest, and I was just so overwhelmed with emotion that the sobs finally came.

You all, I wish you could feel what this is like……every single heart ache, every single joy, every single victory, every single tear that has fallen…..

This is front row seats to God’s miracles. And I cannot believe He chose us to sit here!

The support that is POURING in today is jaw dropping. Texts, e-mails, friends hoping to visit while the guys are gone, comments – sweet comments of support from gals I have never met! THANK YOU. You all, thank you. Thank you for supporting our family.

Thank you for loving Tate enough to pray for him.

Thank you for allowing me to pour my heart out through this keyboard and for reading it.

Please keep praying with us!! We have a long road ahead!!

And I can’t wait to travel it.