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July 2, 2008
WE'RE COMING TO AMERICA . . . TODAY!


Yesterday turned into today pretty quickly … departure day. I think I closed my eyes at midnight and opened them at 3 am. The luggage went out at 4:15 and I was tossing things in the bag to leave and oh my I left so much…especially after the luggage was gone I didn’t have much choice as so little would fit into our carry on luggage. Mel checked us out and I woke Ellie Lu at 5 am and changed her and went down to meet the group.

We boarded the bus and were given “box breakfast” and I fed Ellie Lu and then Mel held her while I ate my breakfast. I can’t even express in writing the emotions I was feeling as we prepared to leave China. This has been such a beautiful and life changing trip, but more than that we are taking our daughter from her place of birth…our home will be her home, but this is her birth country and what a beautiful country it is. There is so much going on yet at times it seems we have gone back in time both in values and beliefs. I think in time…just like all the construction and expansion going on the people will also change.

We arrived at the airport and our guide went with the other families to check in…we went to the China Air counter to try to figure out how to check in. Finally after nearly an hour our guide appeared as we were finishing up check in, but she did not check our paperwork very well. As we approached security we realized Mel’s ticket had some other passengers name…we then had to hike back to the airline which was a very long walk and I asked our guide to run ahead and fix the problem and we would catch up to her.

She got the ticket fixed after some discussion and we then headed back to security and at this point the lines were double in length and we waited and waited. By the time we were thru security we decided to take a golf cart to our gate. The golf cart went about 40 miles an hour and the wind felt great to all of us as we were hot and sweaty after our hike back and forth between security and the airline. When we arrived at the gate we had less than 10 minutes before we boarded. I had time to change Ellie Lu’s diaper and fill a bottle with hot water.

We arrived at our seats and there was another lady in the window seat. We all got settled and right before takeoff the flight attendant moved the lady. Now we had 3 seats for us, this was wonderful. Of course Ellie Lu was in my lap most of the time and she slept some too. The flight was about 3 hours and it was nice to arrive in Beijing.

We met up with our travel friends the Davis family and we all went to baggage check. They had these little booths and we did a diaper change there. While we waited for luggage I found our guide. Once we all got our luggage our guide Thomas took us to the bus….this is when it gets crazy. The bus was full and there was not way with about 10 pieces or more of luggage between us and small babies we could take the bus, so I suggested taking a taxi. We then walked to the taxi area, a bit of a hike and no taxi wanted us. Our terminal was 6 miles away and the fee would not be very much. Finally we were assigned a taxi over to the side and the drivers were really mad. We think they were cussing our guide. Our driver would not even load our luggage. Thomas our guide loaded our luggage and I sat in the back with Ellie Lu and Mel sat in the front. Our driver looked and acted like the devil with horns. Mel and I only exchanged glances but I was really afraid our driver would kidnap us, he drover very fast and cut in and out of traffic and even continued to cuss the guide and other driver as he pulled next to them. For about 10 minutes I feared for our safety…I was able to see that he in fact took us to the right terminal and we were okay. The fee was less than 20 Yuan, but I gave him 100 and then he quickly changed into a nice person and unloaded our luggage. I counted my lucky stars that we were in fact safe and in the right terminal. I asked Paula if she was scared and they basically had the same experience except they had the guide with them and the driver and the guide “bickered” the entire drive.

As soon as we were in the terminal we took a break to change diapers etc and then got ready to move thru security and then on to check in. We made it thru the security check fairly easily except this one gal just wanted to hold Ellie Lu and wanted me to take her out of my pack just to hold her…”not gonna do it” and I didn’t. This traveling is way to stressful without adding to it by removing her from the Ergo when it was not necessary at all. Prior to security we got our tickets and although it took FOREVER, the Continental rep fixed our ticket and linked all of our returned legs so that our luggage could be checked thru to Knoxville…yahoo. Then our luggage was checked and then once we made it thru security we went to the “Lounge” and gave Ellie Lu a bottle and changed her and gave her a sponge bath and put on fresh clothes. We had some snacks and went to our gait. It is beginning to look like we in fact will leave China on time.

We ran into the Lamb family in the airport and it was so good to see them all. There was GREAT shopping in the Beijing airport but I was absolutely shopped out. I didn’t even go into any shops. We boarded the flight and have a bulkhead seat…OMG the “travel Gods” are on our side. We could tell pretty quickly that our flight crew was not nearly as good as our crew coming over.


A view from the other side...a big crowd welcomed us home....


Early Morning Departure for home...5 am.


Full and Happy....


Sleeping Beauty


Team Fannon departing for Knoxville


The picture says it all...we are nearly home....


 


We got all settled and got Ellie Lu a bottle and then the clock started for our 13 plus hour flight. I decided to count down in 2 hour increments. Also we didn’t have the great movie on demand choices like our flight coming over; it didn’t matter because we had our hands full with “baby”. We asked to be served one at a time so the other could hold Ellie Lu. Mel went first…it is so funny the food didn’t even interest us as we at this point only wanted to just get home. As a side note the Davis family was on the opposite side of the cabin we were in…the rest of the cabin was full of middle aged men drinking and possibly on business. Most of them were returning to Houston Texas…I know they were SURPRISED to see 2 young babies flying in first…maybe that is why they drank so much. I would have loved to take a picture of them…picture this it looked like someone has just sprayed some Raid and they all were laying out like dead bugs…or like a “frat house” for middle aged men.

Ellie Lu was a complete trooper and slept I would say 85% of the flight and even slept in the bassinet and played too. We couldn’t have asked for her to be any better, she is an absolute angel and a complete joy. She loved looking at the cartoons on the TV and seemed to want to pull the people out; Mel took a video of her. She spent about ½ the time with each of us, but I think Mel slept maybe a little more than me. When we got to the half way point I knew we could make it. Once again I spent a great deal of time in the lady’s room between my trips and trips to change diapers. We didn’t eat the snacks; both of us had upset tummies. Finally as we got closer to Newark I just could not believe we were actually almost home. We departed the plane in Newark and it was an AMAZING FEELING. We then walked forever and got in the immigrant line and ended up spending quite a bit of time as we had to be walked down to another booth and get something checked. We finally were able to claim our bags and then clear immigration with them and then recheck them and then we had to take a bus to our terminal.

We weren’t able to take any pictures, but Ellie Lu because a US Citizen when we cleared immigration in Newark.

Our terminal was so crowded but I found a way to change Ellie Lu’s diaper and clothes and mine. It felt like I had been in my clothes for days and technically we had at that point been in them nearly 30 hours. When they finally called us to board for Knoxville…I just could not believe it. We were settled and within minutes Ellie Lu went to sleep. She slept the entire flight and was just tuckered out. Flying into Knoxville and seeing the lights was so exciting and then we landed 30 minutes early. As we taxied to the terminal I could see the silhouette of the terminal and took a picture.

We were the last family off the plane and as we walked into the terminal it really felt like an out of body experience to be in a familiar place but now with our dear daughter Ellie Lu. It was REAL, we really were a family! As we walked thru the terminal we could see in the far distance a crowd and oh my…balloons, signs, cameras flashing, video…WHAT A HOMECOMING WE HAD. We had no idea what Ellie Lu would think of all this but she seemed to love it.

THANK YOU….Cheri, Margie and Knut, Angela and Allie,Travis, Frances, Colleen, Tina, Rachael and Audrey, Faye and David, Jill, Robert and Lily, Lisa, Stan, Beverly and Abigail, Jennifer, Olivia and Jennifer’s sister, Kendall and Chandler and Ashley for giving us a GOOD OLE’ SOUTHERN WELCOME HOME!

We said our hellos and everyone was able to meet Ellie Lu and then Mel and the guys went to get the luggage and the girls went to the hotel. What a scene a bunch of women and a baby and cameras flashing and people talking. As we were walking my niece Audrey held my hand and said “Aunt Emmie can I come spend the night with you?” and I said oh Audrey I am more tired than I have ever been and I can’t make any promises. She said, “Aunt Emmie, I want to come help you with the baby”. Now keep in mind Audrey has the Alabama “southern drawl” and it was just so cute, also it was caught on video.

When we arrived at the hotel it was all setup just so and signs and balloons were all over, the pack in play was ready (thanks Marg). We had food and drinks waiting on us a refrigerator and the room looked like a sanctuary for weary travelers. We had a “wet one” to change to everyone watched and “oohed and awed” at Ellie Lu as I changed her. She seemed to love the attention. We opened some gifts, (thanks Angela) and continued to visit and then the guys arrived. We all had a laugh none of the guys knew what name the room was in…long story it was in my sister’s name so she could get in and set everything up. They eventually figured it out and found us. At some point Fran rounded up the troops (thanks Fran) and we were left with our little one alone. Finally on U.S. soil and in a familiar place as a family of three, I just wanted to pinch myself and thank my lucky stars. Nearly 3 years to the day we had decided to adopt from China while driving home from a seminar on July 3, 2005, we arrived in Knoxville on July the 2nd and we will officially arrive HOME on July 3, 2008. What a journey it has been….and oh I just can’t wait to make ALL the memories. OUR PRAYERS WERE ANSWERED…thank the Lord!

We tried to put Ellie Lu down around 11 pm and she just was not sleepy so we got her up and decided that we would just play until she was. The phone rang and it was our friend Jennifer…she had a group of people with her and they had missed us since our flight came in early. She had remembered we were staying at the Hilton…of course we wanted to see them so they came up. What a reunion it was…Jennifer had her daughter Olivia with her and her sister and then a good friend of mine from high school Lisa was also with them (she lives in Montana) and her daughter Chandler and Lisa’s sister Ashley who has twins from China. We had a grand reunion in the hall that was cut short by the security guard…apparently we were disturbing people…imagine that squealing women at 11 pm who had not seen each other or this new baby…I bet we were loud. It was great to see all of them and so special to see Lisa who I had not seen since our 10 year reunion in 1993…15 years ago. Thanks GIRLS you made our day!

We then got Ellie Lu settled down and very shortly we were all asleep. We aren’t in our bed, but it surely was the next best thing…We all slept like babies!

Note: I don't really have any pictures of our arrival in Knoxville...but my niece Frances did a really special post of the highlights of our arrival on her blog, you can check it out here. I hope everyone who took video and pictures will send me copies so I can use them when I make Ellie Lu's video of our journey to her.

Thanks EVERYONE what a SPECIAL welcome we received...I think Ellie Lu just loved all the hoopla!
 

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