Another post so soon!

Ha ha! Surprise, I've actually managed to get another post before the change of seasons!
We've been pretty busy here @the Smith household, between visits w/family, birthdays, and shopping!
Nathan continues to amaze us w/his adaption to life here in the states. He is quite familiar w/bath and bedtime, both of which always meet w/a slow wave of the hand horizontally and "Nooooooo". He loves playing w/his cars and is ABSOLUTELY fascinated when an airplane flies overhead. He gets very excited and wants everyone to know what he sees. Unfortunately he is unable to say airplane, but we get the idea!
We were sitting outside today enjoying the weather, Mama was reading a book and Nate and I were playing w/his cars. I went over to Denise, gave her a gentle kiss and told her of a random quote that had suddenly come into my mind.
It's from the movie "Excalibur", if anyone is familiar w/that. It is the story of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, Merlin, and all that stuff. I've always enjoyed the movie and felt it was quite striking in atmosphere and just the general setting. Anyhoo, there is one scene towards the end where King Arthur is dying, along w/the land since the "land and king are one", and he has sent his knights out to find the Holy Grail. This is not to be confused w/the Python troop who also were in search of the Holy Grail! One of his knights does finally find the Grail and brings it back to Arthur w/life renewing water. After sipping from the cup and regaining a bit of strength Arthur says he "never knew how empty was my soul until it was filled." I felt a little like Arthur today, not dying mind you, but not really knowing what I was actually missing out on until Nathaniel came into our lives. It's days like these when I fell TRULY blessed to be his father. I don't know what I've done to deserve that spot in his life, and I'm sure I will falter from time to time, but w/Denise by my side and our family and friends, I feel Nathaniel Ze has one heck of a sporting chance to have a "Wonderful Life"!

Loving Mama @the zoo!

Nathan and Grandma setting up the train set

"Let me show you how it's done, Uncle Charley!"

Nathan had buddy Danny over for a play date!
"Have you heard about these Goldfish S'mores? They're awesome!"

Alright, buddy, stick 'em up! Aunt Debbie gets Nate w/the bubble maker

Don't panic Elizabeth, I think I know CPR...er...China's Pretty Radical?

Nathan's first encounter w/a Slip n Slide. He was good for a couple runs, but then he kind of pooped out. The fact his bathing suit kept falling off was an added bonus!

                                                        Denise and I feel this pretty much sums him up! LOL...

And now for something completely different...

Again, my apologies to those of you who are living vicariously through our blog to keep tabs on Nathaniel. It really is amazing how much time goes by now that we are a true family. Let's see...he and Mama have been to several doctors. Once for strep (yee-haw), another trip recently for a check-up and verification of the common cold, another to a pediatric urologist (everything checks out a-OK). Whew!
It is amazing how he has truly taken to us and our families. Recently I had a niece graduate from Ashland High School and we were @the graduation party from 2pm-9pm. All sorts of people coming and going. Now Nathan wasn't the life of the party by any means, but he interacted w/some children and did quite well, we were all impressed. He has officially met almost all of his immediate family and loves them!
We're making some headway in the communication department. He knows what baths are (doesn't care for them, but he knows what they are), he loves to go put-put (travel in the car), and is truly a blessing to us.
Many of the households I service for work have inquired about how he is doing, it's just amazing how many well wishers we have out there! One home in Mansfield actually gave me a toy fire engine to give to him because they were just so thrilled that things had finally worked out for us!
We've started going to mass again, albeit noon and sitting in the back. He is intrigued by the whole process, but not sure what to make of it. How do you tell a young Chinese about our Lord and Savior and all he has done for us? We tell him who Jesus is and that we love him, especially for all that he has done for us these past months. At times Denise and I will look @each other and just marvel that he's ours and all that we went through to make it happen. It almost seems surreal or dreamlike, our time in China. We follow what other blogs we can of our fellow travelers, seeing how things are going in their lives.
Yes, of course, we have pictures! But before completely losing you all to his royal "cuteness" let me just repeat our thanks and gratitude to ALL who have been praying for us, calling and saying "hello", and just being there for us during this whole transition. As we heard during our church service while in Beijing, "God is good all the time, and all the time God is good!"

"And what do we have behind door number three? That's right! A brand new, red wagon!" This has become Nate's main means of transportation!

"So, who's this Stephen Hawking anyway, Grandpa?"








"I loves me some jello"

"I loves me some pizza"

"I loves me some ice cream"
(See a pattern? And he's slightly underweight according to the doctor!)

Nathan's first trip to the zoo, complete w/dinosaur and Scotsman!

Nathan pulling Jianmei in the wagon. Jianmei is the daughter of Brian and Renee who actually got us interested in the Chinese adoption process. This picture was from our niece Elizabeth's graduation party.

Bonding w/his Godmother!

Had to throw this one in! This is Nathan's cousin, Josh, also during the graduation party. This is someone Nathan can really look up to and admire! LOL!

I absolutely love this picture! A boy, his balloon, and Mama's garden...

The joys of home and high speed!

First off, I truly apologize to all those who have been diligently following our blog only to find us falling off the face of the earth upon arrival to Terra fir ma! Yes we have arrived back in good old Elyria, OH. We arrived @23:00 E.S.T. after being in the air/on the road for 24+ hours. Nathan did well w/the whole journey. We were quite leery about the flight from Shanghai to Newark because of his disliking of seat belts. Sure enough, we buckle him in and he is going full bore! Mama had some food and toys for just such an occasion. So there we are, child crying his eyes out, we're showing him our seat belts, trying everything in our (limited) playbook to calm him down. Nada. Then the good Lord steps in, in the form of an Asian stewardess, and she calmly tells Nate what's going on, etc. Silence. He looks down @his lap belt and proceeds to wait for take-off. I will be honest and say that it is @this point that I look over to Denise and state that I wasn't sure this was the right thing to do. Of course I know, in my heart, that it is, but it was @that moment that some sincere doubt found it's way into my being.
I am happy to report that I have since been given proof positive that this IS the right thing to do and God will help us along. We had a safe flight in, were greeted by some fantastic friends, complete w/their children in PJs. Our house was still standing and never looked more inviting!
I won't bore you all w/a bunch of details because I know you're all waiting for more pictures! I thank the high speed gods for providing me w/DSL that allows me to upload photos much faster than while abroad.  Suffice to say that Nathan is starting to get into a routine. He has met just about all of our family members and some friends, as I had mentioned. He went to the doctor's a few days after we got home and has a clean bill of health, as much as they can w/no family history to go by. He did receive two shots in the leg and, for the next couple of days, proceeded to look like Tiny Tim hobbling around our house! He's picking up some English here and there, but w/his repaired cleft palate, speech therapy is going to be a must.
The day after his vaccinations he spiked a 101 degree fever and Denise and I were in a panic. He was crying and I'm sure his leg was quite painful. We tried getting him to take a children's Tylenol chewable. He proceeded to choke on that! Fortunately he spit it out and we were able to mix some liquid Tylenol in w/his milk and all returned to (ab)normal in a relatively short time.

Good friends meeting us @the airport even though it was WAY past some bedtimes!

"Who's your Grandmommy?"

Meeting more proud grandparents!

Helping Mama w/dinner

Even more family!

Grandpa, Uncle Lynn, and Aunt Debbie helping put together one SWEET tricycle!

Easy Rider: The Chinese Connection

Final Post from China

Okay, so I may have underestimated the time that would be available to post! I know for a fact that this is the last post I will be doing from China. It is currently Saturday @14:10 and I have been fighting Starbucks internet for about an hour :-(
Anyway, this morning we headed out to the Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King (!). It was within walking distance from our hotel, we really weren't up for anymore taxi rides. It's probably about 80 degrees outside w/pretty good humidity. Nate did well for something we didn't understand. They had a children's activity section where he and Mama made a bookmark:

Exploring the tomb of the Nanyue King

We kind of got turned around on our trip back to the hotel, but managed to find a way through the local park and Denise snapped this one of some schoolchildren:

We made it back to the hotel in a pool of sweat so it was back to the pool for a quick dip. We went back to our room so Nate could take his nap, which seems to becoming harder for him to do, even w/all the activities! I went out for some lunch, but our Starbucks was out of the sandwiches we like and McDonald's was absolutely packed! We are going out w/the other remaining family this afternoon, maybe to the park and then dinner. Denise is currently trying to pack up all our dirty laundry, souvenirs, and other odds and ends so we are ready to roll in the morning. We have to meet our van @05:30 tomorrow, drive to the airport, then we fly from Guangzhou to Shanghai. I don't have our domestic travel agenda on hand, but I think we leave Guangzhou around 10 and get into Shanghai around noon. I know our international flight does not leave until 15:45 from Shanghai, but we fly DIRECTLY to Cleveland (yeah!) and should arrive around 22:30 tomorrow (Sunday). I have managed to take one more day off from work (Monday) to try and get in the swing of things. I told Denise you know your worlds are colliding when you have a dream about installing Nielsen equipment in the house of one of the families we travelled with!

Rounding third and heading for home!

Well, the internet debacle continues. We pay for a 24 hour chunk at a time and today decided it wasn't worth the additional 100 yuan it was costing us. The transfer rate was pathetic and it was very unreliable. So today (Friday) I post to you compliments of our nearby Starbucks. It's crazy that an establishment from the states finds itself over here, but, hey, business is booming! I'm still losing track of previous posts, so I'll recap the last day or so.  Yesterday we had our Oath appointment @the Consulate in the afternoon. It rained all day, so we made do in the hotel through the morning. Our trip to the Consulate was uneventful, our guides were kind enough to drive us in their car to the appointment. We are the last family of 12 to have this appointment. I guess they're saving the best for last. No cameras are allowed inside the facility so I have no picts. to post from that. It was pretty cut and dried. There were probably 20 families total @the facility. You wait in a big room for either your name, your agency, or the (Chinese) name of your child to be announce. Fortunately we had a lady w/very good annunciation who listed all three. You go up to a bank teller type window (behind the bullet-proof glass) and receive a copy of everyone's passport. Then you wait again until all families have that paperwork then an American comes out, gives you some facts about the number of adoptions and all the documents they process, etc. Then you all raise your right hand and pledge that all the information you have provided regarding your adoption is accurate and truthful to the best of your knowledge. That's about it! Then another trip back to the hotel just in time to connect w/the last two couples for a river boat trip. Traffic was terrible so we actually missed the boat we thought we we're going to take. But the good Lord was smiling down because, since we were late, we got a discount on our ticket prices!

Mama making a dash for the Dragon Boat we took our river trip on (still raining!)






Nate did pretty well on the cruise. He got to look out the windows @all the lighted buildings and other activity on the Pearl River. We got back to the hotel late, he took a bath, he and Mama had a ticklefest and we all went to bed!

Old Man and the Sea, evidently the Old Man doesn't have his sea legs!

Today was another shopping adventure. Thank goodness the dollar goes far in this country. In a way it's kind of sad because, at times, it feels like they see Americans w/their adopted child and they see dollar, or yuan, signs! Many of the shops we have visited have been very nice and helpful. Some have the sales associates following you around the WHOLE time. We caught a taxi back to our hotel to await our phone call to let us know all the paperwork had been processed and Nate's passport was ready to go!

Muscle-man Nate Dog trying to show the elevator who's boss!

Our guides phoned about 16:00 to let us know everything was in order! We stopped by their apartment to get the paperwork and decided we needed to give the pool a dance since we're running out of time. It is definitely warm enough for swimming, however, the pool is outdoors and unheated. The setting is beautiful and the outside temperature is somewhere around the mid 70s, but the pool was COLD! Mama was the brave soul to take Nate in for his first swim. Dad hung out on the edge, getting acclimated (ha-ha). He seemed to enjoy the water and especially like when Denise would splash or go motorboating w/him!

This kid's Mama would go to the end's of the Earth for him. Actually we've come kinda close on this journey!

We went back to the hotel and Denise gave Nate a bath to help warm him up. She was hoping he could play in the tub while I blog and she starts packing. Tomorrow we're hoping to keep low key. We have no more guides, they had to leave today for Shanghai for another group coming in. Ironically that is the same group we would have been in had we decided to wait until the end of the month to travel. I believe it is safe to say that we are BLESSED w/all that we have been through and the time we travelled. According to one of our guides many things would have been different had we travelled later. Different hotels, different guides, etc. We are thankful for our time here building our relationship w/our son. At the moment, I'm kind of the court jester, bill payer, and "bad guy" when it comes to removing him from a situation or giving Denise a little breathing room It's a role I am unsure in and I ask the Lord everyday to give me guidance in leading our family down this path he has laid before us. It is only through him that I can become the kind of  father that Nathaniel needs to become the man He has in mind. I also owe an unimaginable debt to my ever loving wife of 15 years whose love, understanding, compassion, and patience make each day a blessing! I'm not sure I'll be able to post anymore, but know you are all in our thoughts and prayers as we begin to close this chapter in our lives and begin a whole NEW saga! Many thanks again for your thoughts and prayers, it has been adventure and it is now time to come home!

Troy

Rainy day in Guangzhou

Yesterday afternoon we stopped by the play area for a little while. They have a golden goose that is a bit too small for Nate, but he decided to give it a whirl anyway!

In the evening, we hooked up w/a couple of the remaining families (we're getting less by the day)and went to a restaurant located in one of the parks. The weather had turned somewhat sweltering, not an oppressive heat but very muggy. The air just kind of hung around you. We ate outside which was nice as the evening went on. A couple people wanted to taste the local flavor before this chapter ended and this is what they came up with:

Yes indeed, that is a little bitty squid topping that dish!

This pigeon comes complete w/Chik-Fil-A waffle fries!

The weather today (Thursday) is pretty crummy. It's been raining all morning. We are to meet in the lobby of the hotel @14:15 for our ride to the Consulate. Other families have stated that the actual proceedings only take about 15 minutes, but you have to wait until ALL families arrive, that could be up to an hour. So we plan on packing some cars and maybe a book or two to keep him occupied. No cameras are allowed so we won't have any pictures of that event.

We've whiled away the morning reading and letting Nate play w/his cars and balloons. Mama did eventually break out the Play Doh and a fun time was had by all!

Mother's perspective

Tonight is my turn to share with you all.  I was talking to another mother and I told her it is like I have been watching an exciting horse race all my life.  I was lucky to take a ride for a day or perhaps an afternoon, but I always had to go back as a spectator and wish to ride.  Now I feel the wind and the thrill of the race of motherhood.  Unfortunately, sometimes my little ride stops dead in his tracks and throws me off and other times he gallops to a happy tune feeling more secure  We are learning as we go and trying to communicate the best we can focusing on non-verbal and lots of love. It is the ride of a lifetime and it is so comforting to know I never have to be lonely again waiting for my turn on the track.  My son has filled a void in me that I didn't know existed and I'm in awe.  I praise God everyday for this little bundle of energy. As I am typing this now, he is covering his father up as Troy is trying to sleep. Everyday we get closer through our struggles and precious time together.  I can't wait to take him home to a cleaner environment and surround him with our family and friends.  He is perfect and worth the wait. Thank you to everyone for your loving comments and texts.  They keep me going and mean more than you will ever know.  China is not my cup of tea (no pun intended), but I get up each morning and offer it up to God.  He is carrying our family through and blesses us with small gifts- a clean squatting potty, a smile of a stranger, french toast, fresh pineapple at breakfast, kiss from Nathan, bottle water from the hotel every morning, or our guide letting us know our paperwork is correct.  We will be home soon so watch out everyone- Nathan is going to light up your life!

P.S. An aside from Troy: We are experiencing MAJOR internet issues here in the hotel. I was having no more luck w/the free wi-fi in the lobby, so Denise thought she would be nice and pay the 100 yuan/day charge for hi-speed in our room. I am having more trouble now, connecting, staying connected, and trying to access our blog than ever. So hang in there, if you don't hear from us. God is good and he has gotten us this far, He'll get us the rest of the way! It just stinks that this is our only form of communication!

Group Shot

You all will have to forgive me if I get repetitive on the blogs. Usually the day shakes out w/breakfast, play time or excursion, possible appointment somewhere or sightseeing, lunch, nap. During nap is when I try to update the blog. So it is actually done in half days. Like today (Wed.)I'll try to update on our activities last night and what we did this morning. But w/o checking the previous blog, which takes forever on this connection, I may be repeating. So sorry!
Yesterday after nap we played w/some balloons and then went down to the lobby to have our group photos taken. It was really neat because many of the children had traditional Chinese outfits to wear and it was nice to have a remembrance of this chapter in Nathaniel's life. Denise and I were talking today, it's almost bittersweet because some families are actually getting ready to leave today, or are leaving this afternoon! Everyone was taking down information and photos yesterday so that when we all get state side we can (try) to stay connected.

After the family photo, the three of us took a taxi ride back to the "island" where the clinic and shops are located to pick up the drawings that were made yesterday. During the tail end of our paperchasing, once we had our travel plans and whatnot, Denise did some research and found a restaurant in Guangzhou called "Danny's Bagels". Apparently this Danny came over from New Jersey several years ago and opened a restaurant to try and offer as traditional Italian and Americana fare as he could. So we had the concierge write down the address so we could have a taxi take us over to the restaurant. It was a nice place to eat and Danny actually came out later and talked w/us for about 20 minutes just asking where we were from and how the food was and everything. I think he actually was homesick and pleased to connect w/some folks from state side who could help him feel reconnected.
The surrounding area of Guangzhou is kind of like a low-key Vegas. Lots of neon lighting, although what they are advertising we haven't the slightest. The weather cooperated, I don't know if I've mentioned before but it has been running about 70 or so, w/moderate humidity. Some days we wear shorts, other times, light pants are comfortable.
We arrived @the hotel about 21:00 and took a short tour around the fourth floor where the pool and various other activity rooms are located.

Mama snapped this one while we were horsing around on a bench outside.

This morning it was, you know it, breakfast again. We know, since today was pancakes, that tomorrow will be french toast, yeah! We had to be back in our room so, at least, one of us could be near the phone from 09:30 onward while our guides were @the Consulate. So, we got the balloons out again and played w/them. Nate was still sleepy since going to bed late, but still getting up around 06:00, so he was kinda crabby. We got the call from Amy about 11:30 that all was good and we meet tomorrow in the lobby @14:15 to take our trip to the Consulate and take our Oath! We went down to the playland inside the hotel since it was raining out again. Two other families joined us later on and it was nice to just play around some and discuss future plans. The one family is leaving this afternoon and the husband called us to see if we wanted any of their leftover groceries. Down the hall he comes w/a bag full of crackers and nuts. We're all set on the snack front, even if we had to stay for another 2 weeks! Thanks Rick and Donna, God speed and safe travels!

Denise wanted to snap this pick, perhaps reminiscent of her college days? "Have you seen a Cheshire cat come through here?"

It's Groundhog's Day in Guangzhou

The title for this day's blog borrows from that ever-entertaining movie starring Bill Murray where he gets stuck in Pennsylvania during the Groundhog Day celebration and EVERY day he gets up.....it's Groundhog's Day! We're starting to feel that way here in Guangzhou as each day is (almost)like the previous. I'm sure we'll appreciate that consistency when we get home and things go the other way! Most of the families are on cruise control @this point. Some had their "interviews" w/the Consulate already. Others have them today (Tuesday) or tomorrow (us). It's kind of weird though because we don't actually go to the Consulate. Our guides for this leg of the trip go on our behalf and one member from the family has to stay in their room from 9-11 a.m. during that process in case they need to call.
Anyhoo, the rain continued yesterday, light but consistent. In spite of that we managed to get to the clinic for a negative reading on Nate's TB test (yeah!). According to our one guide, there were 260 people @the clinic to be seen, and the clinic was to close in about 2 hours!

After the visit to the clinic we wandered around in the rain, going from shop to shop. Denise found a few prints we will have framed and hung in Nate's room. She also came across a barber shop, which was a stroke of genius! Nate's hair was pretty shaggy and what perfect time to get it cut but w/someone who could explain to him what was going on! He did pretty well w/it, bouncing between not sure what was going on, to gawking @himself in the mirror.

Mama sporting the latest in "Homeless Visitors to China" rain gear!

Many of the shops were quaint and there was one where the artist uses no brushes to do his prints, just his hands!

We had dinner w/several of the families @Lucy's, kind of a low grade Planet Hollywood. Denise had spaghetti and I had sweet/sour chicken. Not too bad. Nate works off either plate, but mostly sticks to his milk, and some conjee (spelling?). Congee looks to be what you get when you cook the daylights out of rice, dump in a lot more water and cook some more. Very bland, but I'm sure it's cheap and the fills the children up. Our orphanage made no mention of Nate having to eat this, but it seems to have been popular elsewhere.

Today (Tuesday) is low key. We though we would be going to the Consulate w/everyone else to have our Oath Taking Ceremony, but we are kind of the stragglers along w/one or two other families that haven't had their interviews yet. So we went to CarrFoure, kind of a Chinese Wal-Mart, to pick up some milk for Nate and other items. He did pretty well, actually rode in the cart as long as Mama was pushing! We took a taxi there and back (about 20 yuan one way including tip). The exchange rate is approximately 1 yuan = $7. So here we all are running around w/fat rolls of 100 yuan thinking we're big stuff! After the taxi ride back to the hotel we had some lunch and Denise and Nate took a nap (actually they are currently taking a nap as I type this blog, it's about 14:45 here). We have the evening free, which is nice, but it makes the day go by very slowly. Maybe another trip to the park or around the block, we're not sure.

It was interesting last night, after our trip to the clinic, the shopping, dinner, and the taxi ride back to the hotel, I checked my watch....and it was only 18:00. Nate usually goes to bed around 20:00. I had to double check my watch to make sure it was working! So Denise gave him and bath and we all played for a little while, THEN it was time for bed!

Hope we make it to the hotel alive!

Father-Son bonding?

Last night after dinner we went out to visit one of the parks located near our hotel. It was another experience because you actually go under the street through a passage to the other side where the hotel is located. Unfortunately, Nate is unable to distinguish between running in the park and running along the sidewalk where that crazy driving happens. We had a very nice time in the park, tossed our Nerf ball around a little bit and then headed back to the hotel. THAT was an ordeal in itself. He was on overdrive from a short nap and all the excitement in the park. He was squirming and screaming to beat the band! We did manage to pick up 2 "Polo" shirts for him @$5 apiece. I think they are referred to as Polo Fashion and the embroidered player looks like he's riding a camel!

Scrub-a-dub after an afternoon in the park!










This morning was low key w/breakfast and a father/son trip to the park w/another dad and his son. It started off REALLY rough because Nate is mama's boy all the way. He doesn't like being away from her and he is still leery about being w/me. It was a good time for me to pick the brain of another "experienced" dad. Rick is 48 and he and his wife have three biological children, the youngest is 16. He's a good ol' boy from Georgia and he had some good advice to offer this "dad in training". His son Brookes rode in a stroller and was as quiet as could be. Nathaniel made up for both and about 200 other children! Once we made it to the park, though, he must have figured out that things were going to be OK w/o Mama. He is obsessive/compulsive to the point of picking leaves and things off the sidewalk and throwing them off to the side. Let me repeat, ALL leaves off the sidewalk! Needless to say, that walk took a while, but Rick was really good about it. We sat down for a bit and Nate and Brookes took to cleaning the leaves off the sidewalk and throwing them in a nearby lake.

"Yeah, well you wouldn't believe what MY dad did!"

We started to pick up some rain and Rick was nice enough to share an additional umbrella he and his wife had purchased here in town. The rain didn't appear to want to let up so we headed back to the hotel, complete w/a brief tumble down the stairs of the underpass as dad tried to juggle the umbrella, backpack, and holding Nate's hand :-(

Mama was so glad to see her little boy when we got back, and Rick showed us a really nice play area actually in the hotel on the fourth floor.

Let me show you how to do this Ol' Man!

We had lunch from Starbucks and Denise got Nate cleaned up from our walk. This afternoon we head back to the clinic to have his TB results and checkout the surrounding area!

Laundry returned from our guides source outside the hotel. They know how to do it!