Memories...

Hi everyone--

It's hard to communicate just how much that memories from our trip to China continue to affect me... I remember the tiny plane that we took from Columbus to DC at 6 a.m.... meeting Shannon from Virginia and her mom in the DC airport and learning that they were also on their way to pick up Shannon's new baby girl... arriving in Beijing... trying not to choke after breathing the disgusting air... experiencing our first language barrier in the hotel...

Our time in Beijing was filled with tourist-type activities... tour of the Forbidden Palace, the hotung tour (complete with a meal in a tiny traditional Beijing home), a spectacular acrobat show, and then (blessedly) dinner at a Pizza Hut. Emmy and I lived on Girl Scout Dosidos! We got to visit a Living Hope orphanage, climb the Great Wall, and visit the "Bird's Nest."

These experiences were tremendous, once-in-a-lifetime ones. Yet, I felt like they enabled us to get over the jet lag and mark time before the "big event"-- meeting Ellie-Kate. I shook with nerves on the Great Wall because I didn't want to fall and get hurt before holding her in my arms. I refused to eat anything at all questionable because I didn't want to get food poisoning and ruin my first moments with her. My eyes were on God, and my mind was focused on the task at hand-- getting to Ellie-Kate and then taking her home.

During this time of year, in particular, I keep re-living (at least in my mind) what we were doing and how we were feeling. I've been on Facebook a few times today, and I keep wanting to answer its question: "How are you feeling?" with some memory of our China trip, now four years ago. Others might not understand, but I have certainly smiled and responded when I have observed the posts of others about memories of their own trips. We share that bond-- one that others might well not be able to grasp...

Thanks for "listening" and caring! It's been an incredible four years, hasn't it?

More soon--

Christie