are last few days in China 2002

They can take anything on a bike and cure anything with snakes!

This is our guide Lydia she was so wonderful to us! This lady came up to me saying Hung How not sure of the spelling but it was very good in Chinese, we got our picture together! She was so sweet!

This is our entire travel group to Nanning. There were really 15 families from our agency but 8 of us went to Guangxi to get our daughters from Pingnan! We are all still friends and get the girls together two times a year.

Next few days in Nanning

The next 4 days in Nanning were Beautiful. Not only did I have such a wonderful gift, I saw some of the most beautiful land in the world! Unfortunately my Camera quit working. A friend gave me the photos. I have mostly video. The photo below of me and Katie is blurry but you can see Katie's fist smile! It was my 3rd day with her and she was really coming out of her shell.
Next we flew to Guangzhou China to get Katie's visa to come to the USA! The adoption was finalized on the 18th in Nanning she was officially MINE!

Gocha Day

March 17th

It is the day! The day I get Katie! I was so nervous! What if she refused me? I did not know how I would deal with that! I just had to put my trust in the Lord he would guide me I knew that for sure. He had brought me here to find my dream of having a family.

All went well, Katie came in with 7 other little Gong girls. We were on the 11th floor of the Majestic Hotel in Nanning in Guangxi Province China. All of the babies were quite. The director Mr. Song and 8 nannies all caring the babies. When I was called I went up and Mr. Song handed me Katie. She came to me and would not go to anyone else! She grabbed a hold of me as to say, Momma, where have you been! Mr. Song tried to take her back and she turned her head away from him and held onto me tight! I am sooooo blessed what a sweet child.

Here are some pictures of the special day. Katie was so tired she quickly went to sleep. I put her in the blue crib in the back ground. She slept about one hour and Mr. Song came in to see how we were doing. Everything was fine but I knew she was still very tired. When I tried to give her a bath she was scared to death! She screamed and grabbed at me when I put her in the tub. I quickly took her out and did not give her a bath. Poor Katie scared of water! The next day when I was holding her I saw in her right ear, puss coming out. She had a bad ear infection! You can tell by looking at the photo with Mr. Song how she was holding her head. I was so glad I had some Zythromax. I started her on the antibiotic and 3 days later she was feeling better. Her true personality came out! She was so funny but still very scared of water.

In Beijing March 13, 2002

Wow long trip but I made it to China. So close to Katie! I am sharing some photos of my trip in

Beijing.

The Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven These are only a few of the wonderful pictures I have of Beijing. What a trip of a life time! The best, getting Katie to come!!

The Summer Palace is beautiful. I could not believe these things were as old as they are. The next day, we just took off on our own and meet up with a lady who was Chinese and called herself, Helen. We ended up hiring her for our guide for the day. We went to an Marshal Art Theater for lunch, then shopped went to the silk market, then went to an Peking Opera for dinner. It was a great day and we got to see a lot of Beijing that was not so much of a tourist site. The real China I say. I am in love with China it is a beautiful country and its people are Beautiful! I know my daughter is special to come from a place with so much grace! I am going to Nanning March 16th and I get my Katie March 17th on St. Patrick's day!

Her name is going to be Kathleen Jiatong Smith I will call her Katie. She is named after her grandmother who also is so excited to get her.
Travel date to China, March 11,2002. I am on my way Katie hang on!

an updated Photo

a few days later I got an updated Photo of her! Wow look how she sat on her own and holding a toy. I knew she has good dexterity by looking at this photo.

January 28, 2002

The other picture is of her at the same time. I could not stop looking at the first picture. How my heart hurt for her to hold her. She looked so alone.