Meeting Big Sister - A Travel Journal

May 3 - Today we left the US with our kids and Ms. Rie in tow to make our way to Big Sis's country.  Everything went very well and according to plan.  Both kids did great on the planes, but to our surprise, Rex did better than Emilia.  He had only one melt-down at the airport in Paris which was from sheer exhaustion, so we simply needed to let him scream himself to sleep.  Yep, we got plenty of nasty stares, but we knew this was the only way to help Rex eventually feel better.

Everyone but me asleep at the Paris airport
(Craig is in the red shirt)

May 4 - We arrived in Big Sis' birth country and were taken to our apartment.  The team in-country did a great job choosing a place and a location according to our specifications.  We were able to keep Rex safe indoors throughout the week and being next to two parks was perfect for the kids' outdoor fun.

May 5 - After our appointment with the Central Authority, all five of us piled into a taxi and drove two hours through the mountains to Big Sister's orphanage.  And then we met her and it was lovely.  More on that in a separate post.

Scenery during our daily drives
to and from the orphanage

May 6 - Today Ms. Rie and the kids stayed in the capital city while Craig and I trekked through the mountains again.  Four hours total in the car each day on roads with many bumps and holes would eventually wear on us.  We got to spend two hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon with Big Sis.  She is a wonderful girl and had us laughing and marveling many times.  Meanwhile, we knew that Rex and Emilia were in good hands with Ms. Rie and with a young local woman hired for us as an additional nanny.  I wish I had had more time to talk with her.  She seemed years ahead of her country in terms of her attitude toward special needs and how people with disabilities should be regarded in a society.  Her kindness toward our children really touched our hearts.

Sometimes we waited in traffic jams
until the cows came home

May 7 - This morning we did some sightseeing in the capital.  The weather has been gorgeous if a little on the hot side, but we didn't mind after our long winter here in the Midwest.  Around lunch, we returned to the Central Authority to sign the papers that allow us to continue with Big Sister's adoption.  In the afternoon, we returned to spend time with her at her orphanage.  She's a smart cookie and already kept us on our toes.

May 8 - Since Big Sis was not allowed to miss her classes this morning, we had time to walk the capital city a little more and let the kids enjoy a park with some rides and trampolines etc.  We were also preparing for a miraculous experience that would happen later this day and which I cannot discuss further until Big Sister is home.  In the afternoon, we made our four hour round trip to and from the orphanage to spend time with Sis.  She's really warmed up to us and waits for us every day.

Delicious caramel covered walnuts
at a roadside stand

May 9 - Our last day in country and we were permitted to see Big Sis in the morning and in the afternoon. Her lunch and nap gave us some time to explore her city, but it was a national holiday, so all the stores, restaurants and roads were extremely crowded.  We gave Big Sister a book explaining how we found her and the adoption process.  She was really taking it all in and understanding this was our final day of visiting.  Saying good-bye was hard, but she is well loved and happy, so we have some peace of mind.  Over the next few months, she will receive some English lessons and be prepared for her transition into our family by her teachers.

May 10 - Time to go home.  All went well until we hit JFK where the weather had us stuck overnight.  24 hours of travel turned into 42.  The kids were super troopers.

May 11 - Finally home.