June 24th, 2016

Today we are coming home!!  We could not be any more excited!!  We will have approximately 23 hours of travel, but we are ready to get it over with and be back home in Oklahoma with all 3 of our girls!!  I thought this shirt was appropriate for the day!!

 

We walked over to the airport and got checked in.  Grace enjoyed a ride on the luggage cart!!

 

 

We had some lunch and headed to our gate.  The Hong Kong airport is huge.  It was like an aiport with a shopping mall inside it.  Needless to say we ended up having to hurry to our gate because we did not realize how BIG the airport was!

 

 

We made it to the gate and got settled on the plane.  Here is a picture of Grace before take off!!  Sweet girl has no idea how her life is about to change.

 

 

Grace did great on the plane.  She is happy when John and I are together and she is in one of our arms.  She slept some, sat, ate, and did not have 1 fit the entire 15 hour flight!!  I am telling you this girl is amazing!!  Here is a picture when we landed at DFW.  Once we touched down on America soil she became an automatic US citizen!!  Can you tell how happy she is:)

 

 

In Dallas we headed straight to the mexican restaurant.  We had good food and I had a big unsweet tea withe ice!  Oh how I missed my unsweet tea with ice!  We had one more flight to OKC.  Grace passed out and slept the short flight to OKC.  We were greeted at the aiport with lots of family and friends.  It was AMAZING to hug our girls and see everyone at the airport.  Grace did amazing and even got down to play with some balloons showing off her big smile and laughing!  We are praising Jesus for this amazing journey he sent us on.  We are so happy to be home with all 3 of our girls!!  God is so good!!

 

 

 

 

 

We have been dreaming about this day for a long time and it was perfect!!  We can never repay the love and support we have received throughout this journey.  To everyone we want to say thank you.  We know God sent each of you to lift us up when we needed it the most.  We would not have made it without you!! Thank you for loving us so we could listen to God's call to love this precious baby girl!!  We love you Grace Mei Barnett!!

 

 

 











June 23rd, 2016

Today we got up early and had breakfast.  We went back to the room and grabbed our bags and headed to the train.  We are very happy to be saying good-bye to the squatty potty.  Unless we were at our hotel this was your option for a toilet.  Also you have to carry your own toilet paper.  If there are sinks to wash your hands there is no soap or paper towels.  We just bathed in hand sanitizer after you used one only as a last resort:)

We took a 2 hour train to Hong Kong and then a taxi to a hotel.  We did a 1/2 day tour of Hong Kong today before heading to our hotel at the airport.  Hong Kong is very different from China.  We got to visit the Victoria Peak which is the highest point in Hong Kong.  It was amazing to look down and see Island side.  The guide told us for every square mile in HK there are 6,500 people.  Also the average high rise is 70+ stories.  Again like China there are people/cars everywhere.  Here are a few pics from our day!!

 

 

After the tour we headed to the hotel at the airport for 1 more nights sleep before heading home



 

June 23rd, 2016

Today we got up early and had breakfast.  We went back to the room and grabbed our bags and headed to the train.  We are very happy to be saying good-bye to the squatty potty.  Unless we were at our hotel this was your option for a toilet.  Also you have to carry your own toilet paper.  If there are sinks to wash your hands there is no soap or paper towels.  We just bathed in hand sanitizer after you used one only as a last resort:)

We took a 2 hour train to Hong Kong and then a taxi to a hotel.  We did a 1/2 day tour of Hong Kong today before heading to our hotel at the airport.  Hong Kong is very different from China.  We got to visit the Victoria Peak which is the highest point in Hong Kong.  It was amazing to look down and see Island side.  The guide told us for every square mile in HK there are 6,500 people.  Also the average high rise is 70+ stories.  Again like China there are people/cars everywhere.  Here are a few pics from our day!!

 

 

After the tour we headed to the hotel at the airport for 1 more nights sleep before heading home



 

June 22nd, 2016

Today we decided to go to the zoo with another family.  It was really hot, but good to get out of the hotel for a few hours.  We navigated the subway system and got to the zoo.  We only stayed about an 1 1/2 due to the heat.  We did see some pandas, but even they were inside because of the heat.  Here is picture of John and Grace with the giraffes!

Here is another picture of Grace with Naomi.  Naomi is 13 and was also adopted this trip.  Please be praying that this sweet girl adjusts well in her forever family.  Here spirit is seen in the picture!  Grace only let 1 other person hold/touch her the entire trip besides John and I and it was Naomi.  She is just an amazing young girl!!

 

After the zoo poor John made the walk to Walmart to purhase items for donation to Grace's orphanage.  These items will be given to Grace's orphange!!  Thank you to all who donated and helped purchase these items!!

 

 

We spent the rest of the day packing and preparing to leave for Hong Kong on the train in the morning!  We cannot believe our time is up in Guangzhou, but we are very ready to be home!  



 

June 21st, 2016

Good Morning!  Today we met our group in the lobby to go to Shamian Island.  We do not have any pictures from Shamian Island because it was too hot, but here are some from the lobby before we left!

 

 

 

The island has a restaurant called Lucy's and it has American style food.  It was wonderful to get some American food.  We are really missing Mexican food and Chick-fil-a.  We are so excited to eat at the Mexican restaurant at DFW on our way back.  Grace ate her first grill cheese sandwhich and LOVED it.  She ate almost the entire sandwhich!!  After Lucy's we headed to the room to rest.  The hotel hosted a fun social with dinner, drinks, and music from 5:30-7:30 tonight.  It was so fun to get together with other adoptive families.  The kids had a great time!  Of course Grace was up in front loving the music and dancing!!

 

 

Here is a picture of Grace and I listening to the music!!

 

 

Here are two of Grace's first friends Charlotte and Junie!  We will miss you all once we are home.

 

 

I had to get a picture of her in her precious little dress!!

 

 

After the party we were off to the room for bed.  Grace had her first shoulder ride from Daddy and she loved it!!  One more full day here in Guangzhou and we will be off to Hong Kong on Thursday morning for a night!!  We are so excited to get home to Sydney and Claire.  Grace loves the other kids and we know she is going to be in love with her amazing big sisters!!  Please pray for safe travels!!

 









 

 

 

 

June 20th, 2016

Another great day in China!  We had our consulate appointment today, which was our last step in paperwork before bringing Grace home.  I cannot believe we are finally done with the paperwork.  We were there with several other adoptive families and did everything we needed to do!  We should receive Grace's Visa tomorrow and that will allow her to leave China and enter the USA!!  As soon as we land on US soil she will be an automatic US citizen!!  Praise God.  Here is a picture of her in her red, white, and blue!!

 

After the consulate we went back to the hotel for lunch and rest time.  We met our group in our lobby at 5:30 to go on the Pearl River Dinner Cruise.  We had a great time eating and seeing all of Guangzhou lit up in lights.  They also had some entertainment and Grace had a good time running around!!  Here is a picture of the 3 of us!!

 

 

Here is the Canton Tower!!

 

 

Here is one of Grace running around smiling at everyone!!  She is just so happy (except when it is time to sleep:)!!

 

 

After the cruise we were off to bed!!  Good night from China!!



 





June 19th, 2016

Happy Father's Day!!  We are missing Sydney and Claire so much.  Thankful John is getting to spend Father's Day with his newest little one, but we are missing our Big Girls so much.  Grace slept great again last night.  She just needs her mama and papa in bed with her and she goes right to sleep.  We woke up and headed to breakfast.  Could she be any cuter!!

After breakfast we met with all of the other families traveling from Lifeline.  Several other families arived in Guangzhou from their children's provinces so we have 9 families with us now.  It has been so nice to visit with the other families and meet their precious children.  We went and did some sight seeing and more shopping today as well!!  Here are a few pics form the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall!

 

 

Grace has her snack cup here.  I think she has eaten her weight in puffs.  She has been smiling and laughing more each day.  The only time she cries is if we set her down or it is time to sleep.  Overall we are in comlete awe of her spirit.  We cannot wait to get her home to meet her sisters, family and friends.  She is so full of Joy, Love and Happiness and spreads it wherever she goes.