Greetings from the other side of the rabbit hole!

I decided to update the blog.  Mainly because it has been so long, but also for a little closure.  It has been a little over two years since we turned in our paperwork at Lifeline.  Turns out Zac was not even 3 months old at the time.  It's hard to believe.  After a lifetime of thinking about adoption, we got serious about the time he was born.  Coincidence?  I think not.  I believe that Zac was meant to be our son from the moment he was born.  Now he's been home 8 months!  It's hard to imagine our lives without him.  He was meant for us, and us for him.  He was fearfully and wonderfully made by God... to be part of our family.  Now he's your typical two-year-old.  He's into EVERYTHING.  He's SO smart... adorable... loving... sometimes mischievous...  He loves his brother and sisters so much.  And they love him too.  I am so thankful that he has them.  He's full of energy and never seems to stop, except for that rare moment.  Every once in a while I scoop him up and sit him on my knee and hug him tightly.  I nuzzle his neck and whisper in his ear, "I love you, boy."  And in that moment he is still.  He's learned to hug back, and pat me on the back.  He sits quietly for a minute or two, and then he's off once again.  Another adventure calls.

My goal has always been to turn this blog into a book for Zac.  For the most part, I've written it for him.    So I guess I feel like this part of the story is complete.  I want to thank everyone for following us and for contributing to our adoption in so many ways.  This has been such an amazing process.  I hope that Zac has changed you the way he has changed us.

So, where do we go from here?  Well, look on the right side margin.  Now you can follow Zac and his family on Twitter (If you're not on Twitter, you can always check back here to see the same Tweets).  If you do follow Zac, what will you get?  Photos of our little man growing up... hopefully a pearl of wisdom here and there... reflections from a couple of adoptive parents...   We believe that adoption is a beautiful picture of God's grace:  He has not forgotten ANY of us.  We're reminded of this every day we look at our son.  So don't be surprised if we remind you too.  What you won't get is a bunch of personal details.  Ok?  Then let's go!      

Brothers

Mother's Day 2013

Mother's Day 2013 finds DeAnna the proud momma of four.  It's a time of joy and also a time of sadness.  While we celebrate Zac and all that we've been through as a family this year, we also grieve for his birth mom, somewhere in Chongqing, China.  

...she left her beloved child alongside a shrub by a bus stop in China.  I imagine that she couldn't just walk away that morning, but watched from afar as the city streets began to fill.  I see a tearful smile creep across her tortured face as he is discovered.  "He'll be alright," she reassures herself.  "Please," she says silently, "Please let them find a family to love him."  I wish I could tell her that he's alright.  God was watching him, and He sent us to care for him, to love him.

She can only dream of the life he will have.  Maybe she knows someone at the orphanage… maybe she knows he was adopted.  I pray that somehow God can give her peace.  So we celebrate this Mother's Day as we will every year, with gratitude to the woman who carried him, who delivered him to the orphanage, and into our lives, but also to the woman who will love him, who will shepherd him throughout his entire life.

Family Photo Shoot

On March 8th, two months and a day from our Gotcha Day, we had our first family photo made.  It was an Easter theme.  Sadly, this is the day that Zac injured his finger.  But even in our grief, we can't ignore how happy and beautiful our little family is in these wonderful pictures.  We are so blessed to have Zac home!  He is a smart, handsome little boy with an amazingly resilient character!

Today, April 6th, we're a day shy of our 3 month anniversary.  Zac's sleeping patterns are getting better, but still remains a challenge.  He explores his new world at such an intense level that we really have to follow him around constantly.  Zac is still learning things that most (almost) 2-year-olds have mastered by this time, simply because he was never exposed to them.  We believe that he was well-cared-for, but obviously sheltered.  So he's very curious, but hasn't been given the tender corrections that parents use to teach and condition their little ones.  Maybe his finger was a shot across the bow, a warning for us to be ever vigilant.  He's such a smart boy.  He loves cause and effect, and is quick to figure things out.  He's still not talking a lot, but the number of words he understands is incredible, and growing every day.  Thanks everyone for your thoughts, prayers and kind words during the past few weeks.  We do believe that God has lifted our family up through all this, and we've truly felt your prayers.  

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. 
Psalm 46:1-3 ESV

Two months at home…

We got home almost exactly two months ago, but it seems like so much longer.  We really feel like Zac has always been ours.  He is a great little boy.  His character is amazing.  The day after he hurt his finger, you would have never known anything happened.  And that giant cast has not slowed him down a bit.  He is so resilient.  He acts like it's been there his whole life!  Nothing really seems to get him down (except that Mommy won't carry him around ALL day long! And that there is a limit to how many blueberries he is allowed to eat in one sitting.)  He is such a trooper!  Please join us in praying for him as he continues to heal.  

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy..." Psalm 103:2-4

Zac and his big bro!

The Z Pack

Slideshow

Just a sweet little slideshow.  Happy Valentine's Day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuwfhN7G8K4

Ken

Zac, Rock Star, at home:

Long ago a mother placed her child in a basket among the reeds.  She had to save him.  There was simply no other option.  And she hoped that her plan would lead to him being raised as a child of privilege, one who would grow to be the man she dreamed he could be.  About a year and a half ago, another mother had a similar idea as she left her beloved child alongside a shrub by a bus stop in China.  I imagine that she couldn't just walk away that morning, but watched from afar as the city streets began to fill.  I see a tearful smile creep across her tortured face as he is discovered.  "He'll be alright," she reassures herself.  "Please," she says silently, "Please let them find a family to love him."  I wish I could tell her that he's alright.  God was watching him, and He sent us to care for him, to love him.   

Well, it's one week since we returned home from China.  I can't believe it's taken me this long to update this blog!  This week has been a whirlwind!  We arrived home Friday night, greeted at the airport by a small group of friends.  We choked up as we saw them, our first glimpse of home after so long spent away.  It was just one more amazing act of kindness from our friends and family.  We got back to the house and  found it clean with a warm meal waiting for us.  We spent the next two days recovering from the jet lag.  Since then we have made the first tiny steps toward returning to a normal life.  The kids have welcomed Zac with open arms.  There really hasn't been any jealousy.  DeAnna says he's a rock star, and we're all his fans!  Zoe is the caring big sister... patient and protective.  Zander is the proud big brother, jostling for the attention of his sibling.  Zac seems to really love him.  During a basketball practice Zac took off across the court, weaving though players and coaches.  Turns out he had his sights set on Zander, and went straight to him.  Zander's face brightened as Zac approached with his arms out and a big smile.  Zuri is the "little mama," happy to lend a hand when it's time to feed him, bathe him, or dress him.  She says, "We picked the right baby!"

He is sleeping in our bed, and doing well.  When he does wake up, he screams at high volume!  We think that in his orphanage, the first one to get attention was the one who cried the loudest!  But DeAnna settles him quickly and he drifts off to sleep.  He sleeps sideways, and kicks and flops a lot.  He loves the outdoors, and has a great time at the park.  He has really warmed up to me, and we take day trips together while Mama takes a break.  He waves "Hi" to us all, and DeAnna has taught him a cute little surprised face that he we all imitate.  

Truthfully, our journey has been so smooth, and Zac is a such wonderful child.  I joke that God only gives you what you can handle, and He knows we can't handle much!  But, honestly, we are so truly blessed.  And we are so truly thankful!

Zac and Daddy arriving at the airport

The welcome party

Tearful DeAnna and Sam

Zoe welcomed home by Caroline and Campbell

Finally home: It's nap time!

Zac loves walks!

Zuri enjoyed the snow while we were gone!

A day in the life

Big Ole Jet Airliner, Carry Me to My Home.

Well, we're headed home!  We've enjoyed our time here, but boy are we excited to go home!  We will be traveling for over 26 hours; over 16 in the sky.  We are so thankful for our experience here:  good weather, no sickness, Zac's demeanor...  All in all it has been an amazing time, one that we will never forget.  Please keep us in your prayers as we travel.  Thanks again to everyone who chipped in while we were here.  You are amazing!  And thanks again to the one who lead us here in the first place, who wrote Zac's name on our hearts.  Soli Deo Gloria!  Glory to God alone!  We are the proud parents of four beautiful children!  We could not be happier!  Friday evening will find us finally, thankfully home.  Thanks be to God!

Flower girl

Supplies for our trip!

Shamian Island and River Cruise

On Tuesday most of the families we're with went to the consulate.  They're leaving Thursday.  Since we're not leaving 'til Friday, we had to wait until Wednesday.  Tuesday night we all went on a river cruise.  It was more fun than we expected.  The views were nice, and the food was ok, but we enjoyed visiting with the other families.  Zoe became good friends with a little 5-year-old named Mikaya.  They have spent quite a bit of time together these past two days.  

Today, Wednesday, we finally went to the U.S. Consulate.  They don't allow cameras, so we don't have any photos of this important step.  There were about 8 adoptive families there.  We all took an oath together, and then waited to turn in our documents one-by-one.  Once we turned everything in, they congratulated us and we were done.  Tomorrow we will pick up Zac's passport with his visa.  When we land in Chicago on Friday, Zac will instantly become a U.S. citizen!  We are so excited to be finished!  All the waiting, all the paperwork, all the heartache, all the money... it's finally done!

After the consulate, we all went to Shamian Island to sight-see and shop.  It's a beautiful area with 100-year-old buildings, cobblestone pedestrian streets, and moss-covered trees.  It reminded us of Charleston or Savannah.  There was a nice park, and interesting shops and restaurants.  We found a playground for Zac.  He loved the slide!

We've had a lot of good times these past two weeks, but we are ready to come home.  We're ready to introduce Zac to the rest of his family!  One thing our family is famous for is nicknames, and Zac has a few!  I mentioned before we call him "Zac Attack."  But when the locals find out he's from Chongqing, they say "spicy Sichuan!"  Chongqing is in the Sichuan area, known for spicy Sichuan (or Szechuan) cooking.  So DeAnna and I have taken to calling him "Sichuan."  He certainly loves local food!  We're going to have to add a few recipes to our menu!  And he is such an energetic, fun-loving, happy child.  He is going to LOVE Zander and Zuri!  We all miss them so much.  We are SO ready to have our little family together, like we belong.

  

Shamian Island

We tried to get Zac to get in line, but he said, "No!"

Zac on the playground

Enjoying the slide with Sissy

Happy family!

One, two, three, go!

"Cheese!"

Nap time

Celebrating on the cruise

With Mama and Daddy

With Mama on the boat

Zoe and Mikaya. "Clink!"

One of the amazing buildings in downtown Guangzhou

Cruise entertainment.  Has anybody seen my drink?

Zac working the floor.

River Princess

Guangzhou Zoo

Today we visited the Guangzhou Zoo.  It was a perfect day.  It was about 65°F.  We've heard so many stories about how hot it gets here in the summer, and about visiting the zoo in that heat.  We've seen pictures of families drenched in sweat after 2 hours.  We almost felt guilty that we had it so good!  DeAnna and I love the outdoors, and we were getting a little weary of the cities.  The zoo was very pretty, with ponds and plenty of trees.  And there was hardly anyone there until we were leaving.  It was very relaxing.  We started the day with a shuttle ride around the park.  We got a feel for the layout and got our first glimpse of the animals.  They have just about everything.  We liked the tigers, asian elephants, bears, rhinos and especially the panda.  This was Zac's first trip to the zoo, and he really loved it!

After the zoo, our guide took us to a traditional Chinese dumpling restaurant.  It was more of a "local" place off the beaten path.  The food was delicious! We had Japanese tofu, fried meat and cabbage dumplings, steamed vegetable dumplings, and mixed noodles with vegetables.  Zac enjoyed a little of everything!  He eats like a champ!  There's pretty much nothing he won't eat!  Zoe tried some Chinese noodles and liked them!

It's hard to believe that a week ago we met Zac in person for the first time.  It really feels like we've known him since he was born.  He is a happy child.  It's mind-boggling to think that he left behind everything he's ever known to trust in us to provide for all his needs.  Yet he truly seems to know that he can depend on us.  He really never seems scared, except sometimes when he first wakes up.  But his mama comforts him.  He realizes that he is safe.  He is loved.  He is ours.

Zoe at the fountain, Guangzhou Zoo

At the entrance

Zac and Mama

Zoe

Two 'Roos

Zoe and Daddy ridin' the hippo

Precious smile!

What a beautiful day!

At the panda bear enclosure

Panda bear!

Rhinos!

Zoe bear!

Z is for Zebra!

Our little bird!

Lunch with another adoptive family

Great food!

Local Shopping

Today was Sunday, and we drove to a local shopping area.  It was a market with stores located along a pedestrian street as well as a multi-level mall building.  They had shoes, clothes, watches, and DVDs, but also pearls and jade.  We were on a budget, so we were mainly window-shopping.  We did find a beautiful pink jade rabbit pendant for Zoe...  $35 American!

We took some time to explore the hotel today.  There's a waterfall and koi pond in the back.  Zac loved the green space!  We're not sure he's ever experienced grass!  He was so happy, but not quite sure what to do.

As I mentioned before, we're just burning time until we get his visa docs and U.S. passport.  So Lifeline has us going somewhere just about every day.  I guess to keep us from going stir-crazy!  Tomorrow we visit the Guangzhou Zoo.  We're enjoying the time with Zac.  He is changing every day, and I think in the long run we need this time with him to build the foundation of our life together.  But, at the same time, we are just ready to come home!

Zoe's jade bunny

Zoe and DeAnna

DeAnna with our guide; Zac sleeping; McDonald's

"It's Ok guys, I got it!"

Bamboo juice, anyone?

Zoe at the koi pond

Hard to see, but we're at the top of a waterfall!