The Family Grows!

We ended our time in Korea by spending the day with Joshua’s foster family, which was a great experience for all of us and a reminder of the power of family.  Today, we began a new chapter as we prepared ourselves for welcoming the newest member of our family - Hannah Grace LingJun!

After arriving in China yesterday afternoon, we were quickly greeted with a sudden spike in temperature and humidity from what we had in Korea.  It was in the mid-70 degrees when we got off the plane, and we were hot!  Once we met up with our shuttle driver, we were taken to our hotel, met our guide who is assisting us with our adoption process in-country, and got settled into our room.  Not too long later, Nathan and Eric took a quick walk down the street to look for some local restaurants and see what they could find.  Oddly enough, English signs and menus aren't as common here as they are in other parts of the world, and neither Eric or Nathan have had much experience with learning Chinese or even putting up a good attempt at it!  After stumbling around and staring at picture menus and looking pretty confused at what they were actually ordering (and confusing those who were trying to help them), they managed to find some Japanese food and brought it back to the hotel for everyone to taste.  It was pretty good, and filled our stomachs for the night.  Weary from our day of travel, we went to bed with the thought that this was our last sleep before meeting Hannah.  (This was also the last night of her sleeping in an orphanage.  What was she thinking?  How was she feeling? Oh the thoughts running through our minds before you fall asleep....)

In the morning, we were treated to an amazing breakfast buffet here at the hotel that included a combination of traditional Chinese and American breakfast items, such as fresh rolls and pastries, fruit, and a host of other options for everyone to choose from.  The kids were (naturally) quite excited about this, and to realize this is the first of many morning breakfasts here.  Not to be outdone, Eric found a lot of excitement in the two high quality espresso coffee machines that were (ahem) “conveniently located” near our table, and took one for the team by being the first to try out how it worked.  A few tweaks on the coffee are being explored for the future, but it did not disappoint!

We met up with two other adoptive families from the States that are with our agency and are also meeting their kids today.  Together, we went to exchange money at the bank with our guide, and also received some other essential information and details about what the day would have in store.

After a quick lunch break, we all hoped into a van and went to the Provincial Affairs office where we would verify some necessary paperwork and meet Hannah for the first time.  It was a rainy day here in Guangzhou, but that didn’t stop the Groezinger’s from the excitement of being able to meet and hold Hannah for the first time!

While we were waiting in the main meeting area of the Provincial Affairs office, we witnessed other families meeting their child for the first time.  We anxiously waited our turn, and quickly moved into the position where we were told to stand and wait.  With cameras and videos going, we looked up and Hannah came walking around the corner from another room with her orphanage worker right beside her.  Dressed in a pretty grey dress with shiny black dress shoes and white tights, it was a magical moment of joy, excitement, and overwhelming emotion!  She was HERE!  She walked over to us without any fear or hesitation, and welcomed us by letting us hold her, give her hugs, and tell her who we were and how much we loved her.  We then introduced her to the kids, and had a few moments together there in the middle of the room as we celebrated us becoming a family of six...for the very first time.

Although she was initially a bit shy and quiet, it didn’t take long until we could see her demeanor open a bit more…and the smiles began…and couldn’t stop.  And then....a little giggle.  And another.  And more smiles.  Soon enough, we were beginning to see her little heart open up and reveal her gentle, sweet personality that we immediately fell in love with and enjoyed.  While we were all smitten by and busy playing with her, we also had the chance to ask her social worker and nanny from the orphanage a number of questions about her daily habits, food and sleep patterns, and overall care that will help us understand how we can better care for her going forward.

Shortly after the other families met and spent time with their social workers, we loaded up in the van and came back to the hotel to spend time together and finish a few paperwork items that will be processed tomorrow.  The rest of the evening was ours to enjoy and bond together as a family.

So many thoughts and feelings flowing through our hearts and minds today that it is hard to put them fully into words, but we hope this gives a small glimpse into this amazing, life-changing, forever-family day we had.  As we wrap up the end of our first day together, we're learning that she is a curious little girl who likes to explore, eat well, and play with her siblings!  We can’t wait to learn more about her personality in the days to come and continue to love her and care for her needs.  And those giggles and smiles?  Yep - we've seen a lot more of those too.

Many of you have been a part of this journey with us, through your words of encouragement, prayers, or financial support, and we are truly thankful and blessed for your part in the process of bringing Hannah home into our family.  It is humbling for us to know that there are many praying and supporting us and Hannah half-way around the world.  We don’t take that for granted!  From the bottom of our hearts - thank you.

Stay tuned for more - our time in China is only beginning, and we couldn’t think of a better way to do it.  Welcome to the family, Hannah Grace LingJun!  We love you!

Our first meeting!

The sisters are finally together!

First family selfie!