Future Female Football Player?

See Elizabeth push the triangular block. She is one strong girl!

Future Olympian?

Elizabeth is now taking gymnastic lessons. See Elizabeth exercise on the still rings.

Elizabeth's 2nd Birthday

We celebrated Elizabeth's 2nd birthday with friends and family members. Elizabeth had a lot of fun playing with her friends. She liked all her gifts which included several beautiful outfits and dresses, a purse, some cute stuff animals, a Barbie doll, a bubble lawn mower, and some jewelry. Everyone also enjoyed the good food! See the video clip below as Elizabeth and others try to blow out the candle. "Don't spit on that cake!"

Elizabeth Loves Elmo

For Christmas, Elizabeth got the latest and greatest Elmo Live! You can see from the video that Elizabeth is very fascinated by this new toy.



Also, a few weeks ago, we went to see the Elmo's Green Thumb show at the Reliant Arena. We went with Simon's cousin and nephew. It was a lot of fun. Elizabeth really enjoyed the show. She loved seeing all the Sesame Street characters (e.g. Elmo, Ernie & Bert, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, etc.).

Christmas 2008

This is the 2nd year that we are celebrating Christmas with baby Elizabeth. Actually, she's not a baby anyone; she's a little girl. She likes to talk and babble on the phone. She loves to watch the baby Einstein and Elmo videos. She likes to go outside and play on the swing, the slide, and the jungle gym.

We had our 2nd visit with the social worker. She was impressed with the progress that Elizabeth was making. The report was completed and sent to CCAI to be translated and sent to China. This was the final part of the adoption process.

We are so blessed to have Elizabeth as part of our beloved family.

Gotcha Day Anniversary

Elizabeth always likes to view this video of Gotcha Day.

Pumpkin Festival

We visited the Pumpkin Festival in Katy, TX. As you can see from the picture, Elizabeth is dressed appropriately for the occasion.

Vacation In Orlando, Florida

Selina had a medical conference in Orlando, FL and Helen and the kids went with her. This is the second time that the boys went to Orlando, and Duo Duo's first time. Unfortunately, Simon had to work; it's year end for his firm.

Everyone had a great time and enjoyed visiting the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Sea World. Jonathan and Joshua bought Duo Duo a little Mickey Mouse toy. How so sweet of them!

Maybe in a few years, our group from Chongqing can have a reunion of Orlando. That would be so nice!

Bluebonnets In Texas

Yesterday, we went out the Brenham Texas to see the bluebonnets in full bloom. Brenham is small Texas town about 80 miles northwest from Houston and is known for the bluebonnets and ice cream. Blue Bell Ice Cream is headquarterd in Brenham. We had lunch at a local restaruant call Must Be Heaven. We eat some deli sandwiches topping off with a slice of homemade pie and some delicious Blue Bell ice cream. We took a stroll around main street visiting several of the local shops and antique stores. We headed home back to Houston for the baseball game. Simon's sisters was given some near the dugout tickets to the Astos games against the Florida Marlin at Minute Maid Park. The weather was just absolutely beautiful - 70 degrees.

Spring Break In Colorado

Helen, Jonathan, Joshua, and baby Elizabeth went to Colorado for spring break accompanied by Simon's sister Selina and Simon's mom. Unfortunately, Simon was not able to go.

We arrived in Denver on Saturday, March 15 and were able to meet up with Alan and Xiaoli Polonski and their one year old Yanzi. Alan and Xiaoli were part of our travel group 1274 in Chongqing. We had a great time visiting and catching up.

Later, we headed to Vail, CO which is about a 2 hour drive from Denver. We stayed at condo and had a fantastic time. Selina's high school friend and her husband live in Vail, and we were able to spend some time with them.

The boys took snowboard lessons and had a dandy time playing in the snow. Even, Duo Duo got into the act. She loved playing in and touching the snow. See the bump on nose; that's from scapping on the ice. Ouch!

In Houston, it's very rare that we get snow. So, it's a real treat for us.

On our way to the airport on Wednesday, we were able to visit CCAI. The picture on this posting is with Joshua Zhong, the director of our adoption agency. He and his wife Lily started this agency back in 1994 and have placed over 7,800 children from China. We are so glad that we had the opportunity to meet with them and visit the office and the staff.

We are glad to be home now.

Happy Birthday Duo Duo!

Happy Birthday Elizabeth - 1 year old.

Special Singing Lotus Flower Candle purchased in Chongqing, China

Elizabeth in her Chinese vest and hat.

Re-Adoption

On Friday, February 8, 2008, we went to San Antonio to complete the re-adoption process. A friend who also had adopted a baby girl from China recommended that we go through this attorney in San Antonio. It worked out very well. Not only was the process smooth, it was relatively inexpensive. Simon took a day off, and we drove up to San Antonio and back on the same day.

Duo Duo continues to do well. She is now walking and can even climb up the stairs. She babbles and is accustomed to eat table food. She likes mangoes, rice, and goldfish. She has acclimated very well to life here with us.

Welcome Home Baby Shower

Baby Elizabeth (Duo Duo) has been with us in the U.S. for more than two months. We can't believe it. How time just flies by.

The day before New Years Eve, Duo Duo was admitted to the hospital due to a high fever and shortness of breath. We found out that she contracted the RSV virus which effects one' respiratory system. Helen stayed with her for two nights. After receiving breathing treatment, fluids, and antibiotics, she was discharged on New Years Day.

Duo Duo is acclimating very well to life in the U.S. She does like to eat table food of all sorts such as chicken, watermelon, yogurt, mandarin oranges, and rice gruel. Of course, like most American kids, she prefers to eat junk food such as ice cream, Cheetos, potato chips, and french fries. We try our moderate her intake of such unhealthy food.

When we were in Chongqing, Duo Duo was already standing and crawling. A couple of weeks ago, she started taking her first steps! Today, she's walking about 10 steps.

Duo Duo loves her brothers. When they come home from school, she screams and flaps her arms. Duo Duo also greets Daddy with a big smile when he walks through the floor after returning from work.

In the middle January, we did receive Duo Duo's citizenship certificate. After that, Helen went to the Social Security office to apply for her number. This Friday, we'll be heading to San Antonio for our re-adoption appointment. After that, we'll receive her Texas birth certificate.

On January 20th, several members of our church hosted a welcome home / baby shower party for Duo Duo. There were over 20 ladies who attended this event. Everyone had a lot of fun. And, there was plenty of food.

Christmas In Katy, TX

We celebrated Baby Elizabeth's first Christmas in Katy, TX. All the Lin family members got together for the Christmas Holiday including Simon's brother Steve and his family who drove in from Austin, TX.

On Sunday, we went to Second Baptist Church and attended a traditional Christmas service. The music was wonderful, and Pastor Ed Young gave an inspirational message. We were also impressed by all the Williamsburg gingerbread houses that were displayed around the church lobby. They even brought in a snow machine. The kids had a lot of fun playing in the snow. Even, Elizabeth got into the action. She was very fascinated by the snow.

On Monday afternoon, Simon and the boys took Elizabeth outside and played in the driveway. The temperature that day was around 70 degree Fahrenheit. Elizabeth loved going outside. The boys pushed her around in her little scooter and buggy car. She was laughing and smiling and having a dandy time.

On Christmas day, we opened our presents. At first, Elizabeth was more interested in eating the wrapping paper than playing with her new toys. Later, we went to Ocean Palace to eat Chinese Dim Sum. It was delicious.

A Week Later

It's been more than a week since we have returned from China. All of us including baby Elizabeth have finally acclimated to the time change.

Baby Elizabeth (Duo Duo) seems to be adjusting well. She likes her room and all her new toys! Over the last few days, she has been sleeping through the night which is really a good sign.

Duo Duo responds well to strangers. We have brought her to church over the last couple of weeks and she doesn't mind being held by several of our church friends (as long as she is not too tired). Last week, Helen brought Elizabeth to Selina's office. Again, she responded well to all the new people. Also, it was first time that she ever interacted with a Hispanic or African American person. In Dianjiang, you don't see too many foreigners (whites, African American, or Hispanics). She seemed to react very well to everyone.

Baby Elizabeth loves to go out. Several times, Helen has taken her out to shop at Wal-Mart and Katy Mills Mall. She gets very excited every time that you put on her coat.

Our boys have really enjoyed having a baby sister around. They love to play with her although at times she can get very squirmy.

Duo Duo has also responded well to the boys. She gets very excited every time that the boys get back from school. She starts smiling, flapping her arms, and kicking her legs.

Simon returned back to work last Monday. It was a hectic work week for him catching up on all the e-mails, following up on sundry issues, and preparing for a meeting with the CFO on Wednesday.

Helen has been busy getting ready for the Holiday Season - putting up the Christmas tree and ornaments, making Christmas cookies, and writing Christmas cards.

Many of our friends from our travel group have written to us via e-mail since our return. Like many of them, we miss the fellowship and camaraderie. We can't exactly explain this phenomenon, but there is tremendous bonding that occurs during those two weeks among the families. We are like a big family. We look forward to the day that we get together again; we'll be laughing, crying, and reminiscing about all our experiences during those wonderful two weeks.

Home To Houston

At around 6:00 a.m. Thursday morning, we checked out of the hotel. After a quick breakfast, we (including 3 other CCAI families) boarded on the bus to the airport. Our flight to Hong Kong was scheduled to depart at 9:30 a.m. We checked our bags and went through security and customs without any issues. Thank God!

Our flight to Hong Kong was about 35 minutes. In Hong Kong, we would be catching our connecting flights back to the U.S. Three of the families (Chen's, Lim's, and Lin's) would be on the same flight to San Francisco on United Airlines; the other family (Chan's) would be headed to Los Angeles.

In Hong Kong, we had about a two hour layover. We said goodbye to Mike and Tammy Chan and family as they were headed back to L.A. on a different flight. We grabbed a quick lunch and boarded the plane.

The flight to San Francisco was about 11 hours long. We arrived around 8:00 a.m. local time. The flight was without any major incidents. It was just very hard to sleep on the plane. Baby Elizabeth (Duo Duo) did fine. The only downside was that our video projection screen on our side of the aisle was not working, so we weren't able to watch the movies. No big deal.

Upon arriving in San Francisco, we went through immigration and customs. Again, we had no problems getting through. Thanks to all of you for keeping us in your prayers. We said goodbye to Peter and Janet Chen and their family and Phong and Vania Lim and their son Logan.

Our flight to Houston was smooth sailing. We arrived in Houston around 5:00 p.m. local time. Simon's mom and uncle came to pick us up. We got back to the house around 7:00 p.m. Praise God for his protection.

Our boys, Jonathan and Joshua, were happy to see us and their new baby sister Elizabeth (Duo Duo). Duo Duo seems to be adjusting well to the new environment.

We are getting over the jet lag and the sleep deprivation. Simon will be back to work on Monday.

Visa Issued Resolved - Going Home

At about 7:30 p.m. local time, we received a phone call and the great news from our CCAI representatives, Grace and Kathy, that Duo Duo's passport's visa had been issued! Praise God!

Grace and Kathy brought up the passport and visa package at around 7:45 p.m. They told us that the consulate was able to figure out the system glitch. Again, praise God! They were so happy for us and hugged us. They were worried about the situation. During our conversation, Kathy said that she believed that it was power of prayer that brought the visa issue to a resolution. Indeed, God has used the situation to testify about his power and might.

We shared to Grace and Kathy of how Simon's grandma would always pray when facing an obstacle or trial. Grandma prayed when she brought Selina and Simon to the U.S. over 40 years ago having limited English and never having flown on a plane. God is really good! We really rejoice in Him! Duo Duo can now go home with us!

And, thanks to the many of our friends and family in Guangzhou, Houston, Memphis, England, and other localities who have been praying for us. We firmly believe that the collective prayer support and God's goodness helped resolved our situation.

We are now packing to go home. We pray that God will give us safe travel back. And, by God's grace, this should be our last posting here in Guangzhou. Again, praise God! Praise God!

Please continue to pray for us. Pray for a safe return home without any additional hiccups. And, pray that Duo Duo will do well (and not be too fussy) on our long flight home.

God bless you. Zaijian (goodbye) from China. We'll see you back in the States.

Last Day In Guangzhou & Oath At US Consulate

After breakfast, we went with one of our friends Vania and did a little shopping around town. Just like Chongqing, the traffic is crazy here in Guangzhou. Cars dart back and forth squeezing in between cars. Pedestrians walk right in front of the cars with little or no fear of getting hit. We were amazed that there were very accidents despite no semblance of following any rules. We figure that no one every gets fined for jaywalking.

This afternoon, we went to the US Consulate to take our oath. The US Consulate is about a 35 minute bus ride. There is an US Consulate office on Shamian Island, however, it does not house the visa department. All 14 families from CCAI (9 from the Chongqing group) attended the ceremony including several other families from other agencies.

During our ride to the consulate, we were told by our CCAI representative that there was a problem with Duo Duo's visa. Apparently, the computer system was having problems reading her face on the pictures thereby not allowing the consulate to issue the visa.

When we first heard of this apparent "bad news", Simon recalled how his grandma would lift everything to the Lord in prayer. We asked members of our group to pray together for God's divine intervention. Several of our group members are devout Christians. So, we gathered in front of the U.S. Consulate office and offered a short prayer for God's provision.

Even after our prayer, we still felt anxious. Several of our friends of our group offered their reassuring comfort and support. But, then we reminded ourselves of the verse in Philippians 4, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." We know that God is in absolute control and He has a reason for this delay. We just need to put our complete trust in Him.

After the ceremony, one of the consulate officials spoke with us. He assured that they were working to resolve the problem and would work through the night if necessary. They hoped to resolve the issue by 7:00 p.m local time and get us the passport and visa this evening. At the very latest, they would get it to us by tomorrow morning. We have a 9:30 a.m. flight to Hong Kong.

We can already see that God is at work. The consulate was very kind and reassuring. The first thing that crossed our mind was that we would be stuck in Guangzhou for another day. But, it appears that we should be able to leave with the rest of the group. Nevertheless, we still need to lift all of this to the Lord in prayer.

As we reflected on the situation, we realized again that God often allows us to experience trials in order to strengthen our faith and to give testimony of his loving provision and glory! Our confidence is in Him!

Visa Application Approved

About 11:15 a.m. today local time, we received word from our CCAI representatives, Grace and Kathy, that Duo Duo's visa application was approved by the U.S. Consulate. Tomorrow, all the families will be going to U.S. Consulate office to take the oath and receive our child's visa.

Later in the morning, we had our "Red Couch" group photos of the families and the babies. It was quite a scene trying to get all the babies to sit still for a group photo without their parents holding him or her. One baby started to cry. Another followed. Even, Duo Duo got into the act. When we were in Chongqing and had our group pictures, our friend's baby son Logan fell asleep during the middle of the session. He laid there sleeping like an angel on the couch pillow while the other babies were crying and screaming.

In the afternoon, we took an excursion to the Pearl Market. We took a 15 minute taxi ride, and it cost about $1.50 US for all us. At the market, you can purchase pearl necklaces at wholesale prices. It was nice getting out of the hotel.

For dinner, we went to a very nice restaurant that specializes in dishes for Northeast China. One of our friends is from that area. We ordered and shared 10 dishes, and it was fabulous. And, the price of the meal was incredible. Each of us paid 40 RMB's which is about $5 US. Probably, in the US, you would pay about $20 to $25 US per person.

This will be probably be our last night out given that we'll need to pack tomorrow evening and we have an early flight on Thursday morning.

Visa Paperwork and Child's Medical Exam

In the morning, Simon and one parent from each of the other families completed the visa paperwork for the U.S. Consulate office. It took about an hour and half. At 3:00 p.m., each of the babies had their medical exam. Duo Duo wasn't too happy about seeing the doctor. Along with the immunization record and the medical examination form completed by the clinic, all the documents will be delivered to the U.S. Consulate tomorrow morning for processing. If all goes well, we will be receiving the baby's visa on Wednesday.

We spent the rest of the time shopping and walking around Shamian Island. The island is fairly safe given that there are a lot security folks around and that U.S. Embassy is a block away from the hotel. In addition, there are several mom and pop shops selling all sorts of souvenirs. You can do well if you bargain with the shop attendants - you can get a really good deal! And, if even if you are not a good negotiator, you will still get a fairly good deal. Things are relatively inexpensive given all the fierce competition in the area.

In the evening, we decided to take it easy and rest in the hotel room. We have really enjoyed our stay in China. Nevertheless, we do look forward to getting back home. It's tiring living out of our suitcases.