Disneyland, the longest day & two weeks home

Hong Kong Disneyland:  So we are Disney people, and when my kids found out there was a Disneyland in Hong Kong, the begging ensued.  A little bit of research revealed that it is a pretty good deal (about half the cost of going here) and we told them if time allowed we would go.  

One of the only parks with a public train that is Micky themed

Well, time allowed and we spent our last day at Hong Kong Disneyland :)  Everyone loved the park! The Jungle Cruise had fire...need I say more?  We also really liked the specific-to-

Hong Kong rides, Mystic Manor--think Haunted Mansion premise but amped up with new tech and magnets instead of a track--and Grizzly Gulch, is by far one of the most fun roller coasters we have ridden.  It was a lot of fun introducing Emme Lu to the "wonderful world" on her own turf.

We were told she wouldn't be a US citizen until we landed in Dallas, but I think she become one when we took the obligatory on vacation kids in jail pic :)

The Plane Ride Home:  Suffice it to say, it was LONG!  We were all exhausted at this point,  I think the 2 1/2 weeks hit us all at once.  Raegan wasn't feeling well and I think she slept the entire time. We have all decided we really do not like airline food! (at least not in coach)

The last two weeks:  So, jet lag pretty much kicked our butts, I think it took me almost 6 days to begin feeling like myself again.  So those first few days were a little rough.  Sleep deprivation, new schedules, new surroundings,  Google translate fail (we can talk to her, but it doesn't discern her dialect very well, and a friend pointed out, it might even be the pitch of her voice) and a little heart that is grieving what she left behind.  Thankfully, things began evening out towards the end of the week.  Oh, and a note, if Dave were writing this, he would say everything has been smooth.  She loves her Dad and everything is always happier when Dad is around :).  Mom gets all the angst and anger and frustration.  But we are working through it!  I am glad she feels secure enough to express herself (although there are times I REALLY wish I knew what she was saying!)

Emme Lu has already picked up some English, and definitely understands more than she can express at the moment. It is exciting to see how quickly she is adapting.  She is already asking to go to school, so that will probably be the next thing we tackle.

The second week has brought a leveling of sorts.  There are still the daily ups and downs, but rest and a slow acclimation to her new surroundings has brought down the intensity a notch. It is so much fun to watch her as she discovers new things and learns new words.  She has such a zest for life you can't help but share in her enthusiasm.

One of the greatest things (but also the most heartbreaking) has been the evidence that she was clearly loved by her foster family.  We see it in how she interacts with us, and in the level of confidence she has.  But this also brings her the greatest amount of sadness as she continues to process that she no longer has that family. 

Reflecting back on our trip, it was definitely one of the most difficult yet rewarding experiences we have had.  We are glad we made the trip as a family, (oh, and Colin did amazing with his Type 1 while we were traveling) it was an experience we wouldn't trade! 

We met some incredible (Peoples and Williams, you know who you are) families along the way, and ask your prayers for them also as they adjust to their new lives.  The power of prayer has been so evident throughout this journey!  Please continue also to pray for us as we begin to introduce her to Jesus.  Mostly she just thinks we are hilarious right now when we pray, but we know God is working on her little heart. We are continually grateful for the all the love and support that has been show to us throughout this process, thank all of you so much!

(And a couple of pics from home!)

Thumbs up, it was a good day!

Discovering power rangers thanks to our awesome neighbors!

Almost home

We are on the home stretch!  This last week was spent in Guangzhou.  Friday we took the bullet train from Changsha...

The only thing I can tell you about taking a train in China, is that you need to move fast (translate:run) to make it onto your train on time!

We arrived late Friday night in Guangzhou and checked in at the Garden Hotel. 

Saturday we went for  Emme Lu's medical appointment. 

 The medical center was a little scary for the kids, but as parents is was just so encouraging to all the different families there. Kids all of ages with all different levels of special needs.   It was truly inspiring to see everyone.

On the main floor of the building there was a wine vending machine....enough said. :)








We were then in waiting mode until Tuesday and our consulate appointment.  So we did a little bit of sightseeing on Shamian Island and the zoo.

We were really glad there was no shotting on the island.

Feeding goats at thte zoo

Kyle's proof we were in China: Kung Fu Panda 

hanging out at the hotel

a little Mexican food in Guangzhou...San Antonio you have nothing to worry about!

Tuesday we had our long-awaited consulate appointment.  We were there with about 15 other families.  Currently the consulate processess around 3,000 adoptions a year down from over 10,000 5-6 years ago.
There are no cameras, phones etc allowed inside the consulate, so here is our picture outside of it. That space to Dave's left is to allow us to photoshop Kyle in, poor child could not get himself out of bed and ready to go by 7:45 that morning.

Wednesday while waiting for our visa to be ready in the

afternoon so we could head back to Hong Kong, we checked out another market.  I have never seen so many beads in my life.  It is really too bad I don't have a crafty bone in my body!

Finally our visa arrives at 4:30 and we are off to Hong Kong in a van.

We got to our hotel around 7:30 on Thursday, and it felt so good to relax and know we were almost done with the process.  Emme doesn't become a US citizen until we land in Dallas.   One more day here (that will be a separate post about our time at the happiest place in Hong Kong :)) and then we are headed home!

The last 10 days have been full of happiness as well as challenges, and we are pretty sure we have some major challenges yet to come!  Emme is mostly a happy girl who loves life, but you see the moments when sadness overwhelms her as she is proccessing all the changes that are occurring. She is really good at letting us know when she is frustated :) (she has a really good set of lungs!)

Please pray for her continued adjustment and our communication as we are now on our own!

Introducing......

Please meet the newest member of our family: Emery Wynne Lantz!

So here is a quick rundown of our week:

Monday:  We went to the adoption registration center in the morning to meet our new daughter.

It went surprisingly well!

We spent the morning with our guide and went out to lunch--- apparently we were the first foreigners to visit this restaurant (Langer Restaurant) and if you ever go there in Changsha you might see our picture on the wall. :)  We then went back to the hotel to relax.  Emme Lu (this is what we are calling her right now as a transitional name between Lulu and Emery) played with Colin, Kyle and Raegan all day.  We were grateful for such a happy day.


Tuesday:  We went back to the registration center to finalize the adoption so that they could prepare her papers for her visa.  Things went great until we were about to leave.  Raegan and Emme Lu had been playing when Emme tripped and fell.  She started crying and that was the catalyst to unleash all that was going in her little mind and heart.  For the next thirty minutes (although it seemed much longer at the time) she proceeded to unleash (loudly)  everything that she was processing. Through the interpreter she shared that she didn't want to go to America, she hated us, hated airplanes, shewanted to know why if we were her family we hadn't come to get her as a baby, how she was never going to forget her Chinese, how she was going to send money to her Granny (her foster mother), and a number of other things.  It was so hard to watch her little heart break and not be able to do a thing about it.   When she finally settled down, we went to the park and walked around (even though she said the park was ugly and she didn't want to be there :)).  Over the next hour her mood slightly softened and we went back to the hotel where she seemed to regain some of her previously happy mood.


















Wednesday:  We went to the orphanage to meet her foster parents. We found out that she had been with them for several years and they were very attached.  We were a little wary after the previous day, not knowing what this might trigger, but it went well.  She was happy to see them, but as we were leaving took my hand and Raegan's hand as we got in the van. Visiting the orphanage was difficult.  It is a very well run facility, but it is still heartbreaking to see all the little faces.  I was so ready to scoop up one little girl and just take her with us.  It was hard on our big kids too, the reality of an orphanage is truly heartbreaking.

Thursday:  We did a little sightseeing around Changsha.

 The weather is cold and rainy, so we are pretty much stuck in our hotel with little to do.  We pick up our papers on Friday and take the bullet train back to Guangzhou to complete the remaining paperwork with the US consulate.  While an interesting city, we will be happy to leave Changsha. (There are so many more photos I would like to upload, but I have been having difficulty with our connection) Thank you so much for your prayers and support thus far. One more week to go before everything is finalized and we can come home.  We know that we have a ways to go before Emme Lu feels completely secure, and we are sure there are some meltdowns to come (without a translator to tell us what she is saying!) but we know we are right where God wants us to be!

Please continue to pray for our transition to a family of 6!