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.

“Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12

The guys were waiting in the lobby of their hotel and Addie and I were waiting with them on Skype!!

The guide came to be with Blake and Grant, and I was able to meet her too!

Then she got word that Tate would not be arriving for several more hours.

So Addie and I went to bed.

I woke up at 1 a.m. and tried to reach the guys and couldn’t.

I woke up at 2 a.m. and tried again! They were already back in their room with Tate, and THEY ANSWERED my Skype call!!

And there was our sweet boy, blowing me kisses and saying “Mama!” over and over and over!!

*these photos are of Tate’s first moments with Blake and Grant in the lobby!

Isn’t he beautiful???!!!!!!

Tate ran right to Blake when he arrived, saying “Baba!!” He jumped in Blake’s arms and kissed his cheek!!!!!!

They definitely had told Tate about us and showed him our photos we sent!!!!

Tate is full of life!!! And busy, busy!!!

They are doing GREAT!!!! I am watching them in a little box on the corner of my screen as I type this!! And it is now 3:15 a.m.!!!!

Tate is coloring and then coming to the computer screen to show me his work! He is also putting part of his snacks under my photo on the screen to share with me!!!

Praise the Lord with us!!!! WE ARE SIMPLY IN AWE.

Tate had a bag with him, and it is FULL of his artwork, photos on a CD, and a beautiful scrapbook of his time at the orphanage! I am making the guys promise to hand carry ALL of it home! No wet suitcases for those precious gifts!!!

HE’S HERE!!!! OUR TATE IS HERE!!!

“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” Psalm 126:5

I have listened to Blake and Grant tell countless stories on Skype, and have hung on every word!

I am not sure I can convey all that the guys are experiencing into words that will do it any justice at all!! They are so funny!!

They are tirelessly trying to download photos for you all to enjoy. This was a slow and time consuming task on our trip last year, but it was doable. On this trip they are not getting things to work very well at all. So I am very thankful for these photos!!

Here they are coming into Guangzhou after being in the air fifteen hours!!

If I close my eyes I can still hear the sounds and smell the smells one year later! It is an amazing place to be!!

They had a one night stay at the Crowne Plaza. It is gorgeous!

This was their breakfast the morning they flew to Hohhot….pringles and vitamin water! Grant has told me that he has been hungry most of the time since they left. That part I remember well!

*Update – the guys just minutes ago enjoyed a breakfast buffet at their hotel! They said it was huge and delicious!

The airport in Hohhot.

More of Hohhot.

Their hotel in Hohhot is very nice too!

These are all taken from the window of their room on the 21st floor.

Unfortunately, the suitcases did not all arrive in good condition. They were WET. Inside the suitcases were wet! Sorry about your box of O’s, Tate!!

The guys went outside the hotel to a noodle restaurant next door the guide told them to go to. They took these photos on the snack street right there!

I am pretty sure I never really need to know what this is.

Bird on a stick, anyone?

Here’s a first! Grant fell asleep in the middle of doing sit ups! These guys are SO tired!

Here are Mr. and Mrs. Samuels and their friend Hannah! They were so gracious to come all the way to the hotel to pick up the donations! One of their suitcases was wet too. Blake said he felt a sigh of relief that he got everything there and in the hands of these precious people!!

Blake and Grant’s guide and driver are the best. I really don’t think these guides that meet and take care adoptive families in country ever sleep! The driver was enjoying Grant’s story…..he thought Grant was Chinese! And couldn’t stop asking questions about making a living driving tractors and milking cows!!! Hilarious.

We just ALL Skyped with the guys as they woke up for the day. For TATE’S DAY!! In case you forgot!

Three hours and counting!!!! Please pray that they can get the Skype to work in the lobby!!! I am beside myself right now with anticipation. We have waited SO long for our sweet boy.

Are you all tired of blog posts yet??!! Check back soon – because my next post I hope will have photos of Tate!!!!

Praise the Lord!!! Our wait is almost over!!!