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....
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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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