June 26, 2008
POYANG TOWN OR BUST . . .
We hit the sack early last night…7:15 am; we
were all tired and a little worn down. The
phone rang at 9 pm and I was a bit
disoriented…it was our guide Lisa and she said
“the Yichun families are demanding to visit
the SWI, so I wanted to offer a visit to
Poyang to you all, ARE YOU INTERESTED?” Are
we interested….the answer is it would be a
dream come true. Earlier in the day I had
asked her about this and she said it was
possible, BUT that since we needed to be in
our hotel rooms at a particular time on
Thursday it really wasn’t feasible. Being
tired and worn down I didn’t have the energy
to press her, prior to leaving for China it
was my number one priority, but once we were
delayed 3 days leaving and now with the heat
and the slight stomach upset. I just didn’t
have it in me to fight. Hurray… OUR YICHUN
FAMILIES DID THE FIGHTING FOR US AND WE ALL
WILL GET A CHANCE TO PEAK INTO THE EARLY LIFE
OF OUR CHILDREN AND TO PERHAPS MEET THOSE WHO
CARED FOR THEM. This is an answered prayer!
I woke Mel up to tell him what was going on
and at this point we thought it would be me to
go as I am the “fact finder” in our family…AKA
the super sleuth. However I was also very much
under the weather and feeling sicker by the
minute. We decided to wait until the morning
to decide who would go. I medicated and prayed
to feel better in the morning. The phone rang
again at around 10 pm…the plans were in
place…one of us would leave at 9 am in the
morning for Poyang….June 26 was the day I met
Mel some 15 years ago and what a special day
it will be for us this year…to visit Poyang.
Back to bed.
Morning came early around 5 and I was still
very “green”. We decided Mel would go to
Poyang; it was hard for me to take as I had
wanted to go so badly, but I gave Mel notes
and things to ask and pictures that I would
like him to try to take. I will be on pins and
needles all day waiting for him to come home.
He went down for breakfast alone and then came
back up to watch Ellie Lu then I went down and
just got some toast. At 9 am we all went down
to meet Lisa, Sissi and his guide Vivian and
then he was off…to Poyang.
I took a nap when Ellie Lu napped, just not
feeling up to par, then we both played and
sang and then we walked around the hotel. In
late afternoon I made some noodles and I let
her have a few…it was a hoot she liked them.
We also went down and visited Paula and
Lorelei to pass the time. At 5:30 pm we had a
meeting to check out all of our official
paperwork. Just after the meeting Mel arrived
home from Poyang…with a smile on his face and
photos and video to capture his day.
We went up to the room and he began, “if I had
known they were going to have fireworks I
would have been filming”. FIREWORKS!!!!
Apparently they had some 500 fireworks that
went off as he drove up the drove…to hear Mel
tell it is priceless and yes I videoed him
telling it. Then when the car stopped he said
there must have been 25 people included a TV
crew and News crew doing stories of his visit.
He was OVERWHELMED!
They went in and they showed him around. He
was able to meet Ellie Lu’s Nanny and to see
her buddy that she had and was able to
photograph both. They had a spread of fruit
and as they all talked they ate the fruit. He
was able to see where Ellie Lu slept and where
she played in a dayroom. Then they all went to
lunch and what a lunch they had…if you know
anything about a typical Chinese meal you
would know that it would be a feast. The lazy
susan was loaded with all sorts of
entrees…including goose feet I believe and Mel
being the guy he is….tried EVERYTHING. There
were many toast and one lady we met on “Ellie
Lu” day toasted Mel and then drank her
complete glass of wine, which according to Mel
was like “MOONSHINE”. Now how he knows what
moonshine is like is beyond me….but he knew.
Anyway he then downed his own glass of
wine/moonshine to the cheers of the table. He
later told me he was not going to be “outdone”
by a woman! SMILE!
The lunch was attended by all including the TV
crew and News crew as well as the driver and
guide that were hired for Mel. Mel was a bit
concerned the driver might get a little
“tipsy” as he had gotten lost on the way there
and Mel felt he needed ALL his facilities to
get them home. I think Mel said the lunch was
like 2 ½ hours and then they returned to the
SWI where Mel was able to ask questions and
take pictures of a special book or file they
had on Ellie Lu.
When we met the SWI staff on Sunday, June 22nd
we gave them gifts and some of the gifts
included things, but we also gave them a photo
album of our family and also some thank you
notes that I had made. When I looked at Mel’s
pictures I began to cry as I saw they had
taken our photos and inserted them into the
book/file they had on Ellie Lu…I don’t know
what it was about that gesture that made me
cry but even as I write about it tears fill my
eyes again. I guess as I think about it…it
seemed so tender to place our photos with the
ones they had of her and also our thank you
cards that I had made were there as well.
Mel was also able to spend time with the lady
who named Ellie Lu, her name is Hu Qing Xiu
and she went with Mel to Ellie Lu’s finding
spot to take photos. I won’t share any of this
information here as this is information that
belongs to Ellie Lu and I want her to
understand it and share it as she desires. The
day closed with pictures of the staff and a
drive along the lake and then traveling back
to Nanchang….one day we will all visit
together.
Mel asked the SWI Director what needs they
have and they have over 100 infants under the
age of 1 year that they need clothing for. We
are committed to cloth at least 20 and I will
work with my yahoo SWI group and hopefully
setup a way thru a “not for profit” charity
that does work in China where we can all give
as we see fit to this very special place that
cared for and was home to our children in
their early life.
After Mel told me out Poyang, he watched Ellie
Lu and I went over to “Tiffany’s” and ordered
custom clothing for each of us; a dress for
Ellie Lu with shoes and hat, a jacket for me
and a jacket for Mel. I also got Ellie Lu a
banner and several other trinkets. The owner
Jack followed me back to the hotel to measure
Mel for his jacket. We will pick them up just
prior to leaving town tomorrow. It is amazing
that they can make them that quickly.
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Mel with Ellie Lu's Nanny
Mel with the Poyang staff
Mel with the staff member who named Ellie Lu
Poyang Cutey
Poyang SWI
Poyang Town
Tante Margie Original |
Our hearts are a bit heavy as we prepare to
leave Nanchang the city where we first met our
daughter and Jiangxi the Province that Poyang
is in. We don’t know when we will be back, but
our hope is to return one day when Ellie Lu is
older if she wants. It has been a very good
day…and tomorrow we will celebrate 9 years of
marriage and we will travel to Guangzhou to
complete the final steps of this adoption
journey and then travel home to live as a
family.
Firsts:
• First noodles…Em
• First custom dress…Tante Margie
Love,
Em, Mel and Ellie Lu
Thank you Tante Margie for all the special
things you have made me and bought for me.
Momma should have brought the "kitty cat"
version of this dress but I put it on just for
you to see me in. Can't wait to meet you.
Love,
Ellie Lu
ADOPTION
You first came to us in an envelope
With letters, forms and such
Just three tiny little pictures
With nothing warm to touch.
Your grew in our imagination
In our hearts and in our minds.
You brought us greater joy
Than we ever thought we’d find.
A phone call started labor pains
Which lasted ‘til we met
Strangers brought together
A day we won’t forget.
You bloomed as your were planned
In our hearts, our lives, our home.
Our child of chance, of plan, of will
You’re now our very own.
~Author Unknown
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