The Pepsi Generation gains a new follower...

In the important process of Americanizing our new daughter, it's Pepsi time! Actually it is the first time (that we can imagine) that Miss Gracee used a straw (we'd been trying previously to help her get the swing of it.) Much to Mom's chagrin, her beverage of choice was cola, not water. But now that she has the straw function down pat, think of the fun she will have at Sonic (a favorite drive-in of the family.) [An important note, the Pepsi was free. We were spending so much in the pearl market shop that they sent someone out for drinks!]

Shopping in Guangzhou

After carrying three bags of laundry to Sherry's (a shop in Guz), we boarded a bus with out Anhui group to the pearl market. Wow! Never have we seen so many pearls and so many shops packed into a 'mall.' The photo to the left is of the woman who was picking out the best pearl strands for us.

Gracee was a great (and popular) shopper. [She takes after her great grandmother Mom-Mom.] We really got a taste of China today--even traveling in a cab (actually two of them.) All in all the weather has been good. We were in a what appeared to be a hurricane on the way with the laundry--our umbrellas were of no value. But the rest of the day was cloudy but dry.

We also purchased Gracee one pair of 'squeaky' shoes in every size. She's set for a few years. Tomorrow starts the process of securing Gracee's visa. Thank you for your prayers for all of us, especially our beautiful little girl.

Guess who is the star of the show in Guangzhou? Gracee the Superstar. The family made several purchases in this reputable video store where movies such as "Phantom of the Opera," " Finding Neverland," and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" (still in theatres in the U.S.) are 15.90 RMB (less than $2.00 USD). What deals!!! And the dialogue is in English. 

Settled in Guangzhou...

After a smooth flight out of Hefei, we are now well settled in our hotel room in Guangzhou, China. This is the city where we will receive Gracee's visa from the American Consulate. Gracee did great on her first airplane ride, chosing to spend some of the flight on the floor at our feet.

We just returned from worship services at a Christian church near the White Swan Hotel. The service was conducted in Mandarin and English (those who understood Mandarin probably got more out of it), but it was a wonderful experience to be worshipping the One True God with our Chinese brothers and sisters. The church was packed; most of the worshippers were young Chinese. Praise God for a faith that frees!

We travel to the Pearl Market this afternoon. (Thanks for the shopping suggestions, Cecils.) This city is reminiscent of Mobile, Alabama--in some architecture, flora, and climate. The prime difference is the population -- nearly 10 million people. We glad to be here--our gateway home from our daughter's homeland. Gracee continues to change day-by-day, she is now making her first sounds (a communication other than crying) and taking her steps between the beds.

Gracee's Big Adventure continues...

Little Empress Gracee 'trys out' chopsticks (like her Mommy and Daddy) while sampling wonderful, local Hefei fare on Friday evening--our last night in her province.

Our departure is bittersweet. We are anxious to move forward in Gracee's Big Adventure--bound for her new home; but we are saddened to be leaving her home province, where she was given life and where she was placed into our arms. Only God knows if we will ever return to this province, but it will always have a special place in our hearts. For it is the place where we met the little girl we loved before we ever saw her face, before we ever heard her name, and before we ever held her little body tight to ours. Somewhere in this province is a woman who for some reason left her baby for someone else to hold and who tonight has no idea where that little girl is. We can only pray that God, in His infinite wisdom and power, will speak to the heart of that woman and assure her that her daughter is safe tonight and in the arms of a family who will always love her. We are grateful to her for giving Gracee life, when so many little girls are denied it. We have seen the best, and perhaps, the worst of Anhui. Tomorrow afternoon, we will board a plane to Guangzhou with the most precious treasure this poor Chinese province has ever produced.

With Gracee in our arms, we will look forward, expecting and knowing that God has done and is doing a great work in her life and in our lives. In this province, He has taken us on a journey I never imagined--even though many tried to describe it. With five children already, many have questioned why we would want to "start all over again." I might have asked myself that same question two or more years ago, but now I know the answer: It is because God placed in our heart a burden to give a little girl, who otherwise might never have hope, hope. Hope for a prosperous future in a free land; hope to succeed, and at times, to fail; and to know the Living Christ who gives eternal hope. In the five days we have been in this province, God has blessed us more than we could ever have imagined. We stand in awe of His majesty and His might and His abiding love for a little girl from Bengbu, Anhui who needed a family. Thank you, God. Thank you for allowing us to have this blessing.

The family posed a pagoda in the Huiyan park near the hotel in Hefei. Our guide told us it was called the Drunken Men pagoda, explaining to overcome 'writers block' the men would receive inspiration from their sweet wine. Not a good idea for this writer! 

A hot day in Hefei...

Gracee continues to do well. We walked (she strolled) to a park near the hotel that featured replicas of famous places, i.e., the Yellow Mountain, in Anhui. It was an interesting park but it was very, very warm. The only one not affected by the temperature was Gracee, given that the fact she lived in weather like this (no a/c). She slept from 9:30 pm to 7:00 this morning. We woke her up and she was not happy about it. It's clear she isn't a morning person.

This afternoon, we will work on paperwork for our American Consulate appointment next week. Later we will take a bus to downtown to shop at a "department store." Our hotel is on the outskirts of the city. It is much less populated out here. So while the traffic is much less, they are no local places for us to shop . We leave Hefei tomorrow afternoon. Our original plans of an a.m. departure to Guangzhou having been altered, we will miss a good half day of shopping there. We regret that because we know the Cecils have all the shopkeepers in Guangzhou worn down and watching for our arrival. Everyone is eating well and healthy. (I still love rice.) God is protecting us.

In the photo to the left, Gracee is wearing a smocked dress that Marla made some 20 years ago for her niece. She looks beautiful in the dress. (In reality, she looks beautiful in any outfit.) We spend most of our time in the hotel room, laying on the bed, playing with Gracee and just watching her. She is holding an empty water bottle--a standard feature here. Don't drink the water!

We stand in awe of the responsibility and opportunity God has given us in this little girl from Bengbu. He has blessed us mightily.

A typical street scene in Bengbu, believed to be Gracee's birthplace. It is a small Chinese city but to us appeared as a large U.S. city. It is known as a primary hub for railroad traffic. 

Gracee's Big Adventure continues... Today we traveled to Bengbu to visit Gracee's orphanage and her abandonment site. Gracee did a great job with it all; Mom and Dad were surprised at the conditions. Having seen some pictures of the orphanage on the Internet, we knew the facility would be a little rough. That was putting it mildly. While we are sure the nannies showed the babies much love, the building is over 50 years old and the conditions are very bad. They are reportedly building a new building elsewhere; that job has been progress for five years and apparently is not near completion. Please pray for the babies who are left behind there. Many babies remain there and they desperately need a forever family.While in Bengbu, Gracee had her first McDonald's Happy Meal. And she loved it! Our little American-to-be! What a beauty. 

A street in San He, Anhui, an 800-old-year village. 

A fireworks shop in San He, Anhui. Not an unusual sight. We heard fireworks going off as we visited this litle community. Our local guide said the fireworks are often the sign of marriage or a store's grand opening.  

The little emperoress Gracee ready for another day as a Hastings. Thank you Miss Debbie for the pretty outfit! 

Mom and Gracee on an 800 year old bridge in San He in the Anhui province of China. The family went on a journey with the group to this old village. We got a real glimpse of life in Chinal On the way we caught glimpses of several water buffalo and workers in the rice fields. Gracee started the day at 5:38 am (much improved over yesterday.) She loves her Cheerios; the cereal is the magical antidote to a crying Gracee. She was a real trooper. It was very hot and humid on our little side trip, but she didn't utter a complaint the whole time. We travel to her orphanage in BengBu tomorrow morning, said to be a two hour drive. We are steeling ourselves for what we will see there. Thank you for your prayers.  

Gracee's Big Adventure -- Day 2 draws to a close

Gracee closed out her first day as our daughter by partaking of a little of Americana--french fries. She remains attached to Mom and humoring the rest of us when the "tickle bug" comes to visit. She does not walk and does not want to 'stand up' with help. She likes to sit on the bed and play with her little toys. She likes best to held tight; her heart against her Mommy's. We know the love and care she is now being given will put her on the fast track to catching up with her peers. She is a very introspective little girl; you can almost see the wheels grinding as she ponders all that is going on around her. We can't imagine what she is thinking after all those months with minimal stimulation in the orphanage.

The hotel in Hefei is far from 'downtown' so the three restaurants in the hotel are the only option without traveling. Fortunately the prices aren't exorbitant. Our meal costs are a bit higher than they would be if we could be drinking ice water with our meal, instead we have to order bottled water, a soda, or tea. The weather is very bearable. We were outside just a bit this afternoon and plan a group outing tomorrow morning to an ancient city in the community. Samuel has a mild case of tummy troubles; everyone else is doing pretty good in that area. Drew, Anna, and Niles went to the pool this afternoon. It bears no resemblance to our pools back home. Members of our CHI group who were out walking their babies were amazed to see our swimmers in the water. Today had us finishing all our paperwork with the local registrar, the notary, and Gracee's orphanage co-director to finalize Gracee's adoption. We were given a copy of her entry in the Chinese government's Red Book, a record of adoptions of Chinese children. We will receive her passport Friday.

Gracee's Big Adventure continues...we just hope Day 3 doesn't start as early as it did today!

Gracee is not particularly happy about having her picture taken for the official entry in the Chinese government's Red Book, a record of Chinese baby adoptions. Our kind CHI coordinator, Lina, tries to distract Gracee and coax a smile out of here. Didn't work. Gracee's official family picture shows a crying Gracee. 

Gracee's Big Adventure -- Day 2

Another early day of firsts...Gracee's first bottle (since the one the nanny brought), her first bath and her first poopy diaper!!! And all before 5:30 a.m.!!! She is an early riser. Gracee went to bed at 10:00 and woke up at 3:30 a.m. with her first stinky diaper. (Mom reports it looked good; Dad didn't check it out so we will take her word on it.) She tolerated the bath; mostly staring as we poured water out of her stacking cups. She really enjoyed Mommy putting lotion on her body and Mommy and Daddy combing her hair. She is playing with her stacking cups, squeaky toys, big stringing beads, and her favorite and first toy, the cover to her plastic Playtex bottle. We're on our way to Gracee's first breakfast and then at 9:30 am (8:30 pm in Nashville and 9:30 pm in the east) we will begin the process of officially adopting our sweet little Bengbu baby! Thanks be to God for His mercy and His grace in allowing us to bring little Gracee into our family. Gracee's Big Adventure continues...

One beautiful little girl. Our little girl. Thanks be to God for His outpouring love on our family. 

The announcement is made and translated: "It is official. The adoption is complete." 

Getting Gracee's footprint on an official document... 

Photos taken, papers signed, a promise to always provide and love, and a print of her right taken, Gracee is officially a Hastings! 

Another first...after her first bath wearing her FIRST Vanderbilt shirt!  

Gracee's first bottle...early in the morning in the bathroom so as not to bother her sleeping sister Anna. 

A day of firsts...

Only twelve hours have passed since she was placed in our arms, but it seems like little Gracee has been part of our family for a long time. She has had her first nap; her first trip to the store (a government store in downtown Hefei); her first dinner; and her first smile and laugh. We look forward to her first night's sleep now! All is going very well. She is good eater like her friends back home, Annie and Rebekah, particularly enjoying fried noodles. We wanted her to continue to be a part of our adventure...so here are the latest pictures as Gracee's Big Adventure kicks into high gear.

Gracee is here!!!

At 9:50 a.m. local time Grace Eliza Chunying stepped into our world, off the elevator in the Hefei hotel. The first group of babies from the orphanage in the south Anhui region arrived ahead of the two babies from Bengbu. The last few minutes of waiting were a little tough as our coordinator told us the babies were just miles away. We are so very grateful to God and the way He moved through our friends to bring us to this moment.

Gracee is a beautiful little girl (you might have expected me to say that). She is more slight of frame than we expected and is a shy little girl. She has already furrowed her brow just like her Daddy and big sister Anna are prone to do. Cheerios helped us break the ice, as well as a Gerber cereal bar. In some ways Gracee's Big Adventure has ended as she has found her "forever family," but in many, many more ways it has just begun as now she has the opportunity to be all that God intended for her to be. For this was His plan after all.

What to do the night before your baby sister arrives?

Go bowling! Our family joined a "like-minded" family from Phoenix in our group to relax at a bowling alley attached to the hotel here in Hefei. We were relieved to see the bowling balls were stamped "Made in U.S.A." We are literally counting down the hours until Gracee is in our arms. In the restaurant tonight (one in the hotel) there was another group of families who met their little girls four days ago. All were beautiful babies and very different in personality. Again, we expect to meet Gracee at 9:30 am (China time)--that's 8:30 p.m on the 24th for the folks in Tennessee.

The Hastings are in Hefei...

We are now in Hefei (the provincial capital of Anhui) where we will receive Gracee tomorrow morning (Monday 7/25). The flight was uneventful; the inflight meal was interesting. (We still don't know what the meat was. Our coordinator said it was chicken, but it looked like no chicken we had ever seen.) We ate it along with spicy bamboo shoots on top of sticky rice and bean sprouts. Our hotel in Hefei is very nice. It is far, far less crowded here than in Beijing (we are on the outskirts of the city.) We opened our room door to find the crib and stroller in Mom and Dad's room, as well as a gift of a bottle of Heinz baby food (with an Asian baby on the cover!) from the hotel management. The weather is very warm outside (no rain here yet.) We are in a business development section of the city, so there is some new development around here that makes it an attractive area. Everyone is still healthy and well. The kids are sleeping very well; Mom and Dad are doing fairly well with it. Right now we are gathering up dirty clothes to go to the laundry. (After yesterday's rain-soaked excursions, the wet socks and shoes make for 'powerful' laundry.) The plan right now is for the babies to come to the hotel tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. WOW! Mom is busy right pulling out all of Gracee's clothes, linens, toys, etc. Thank you for your prayers. We can hardly believe that the journey we started early last year is coming to fruition. We are grateful to God for His marvelous work in bringing Gracee to her "forever family." The adventure continues...

Part of the group of six families adopting from Anhui province (Bengbu and Anqing) arrive at Hefei airport from Beijing. Needless to say, we are all excited to be in Gracee's province.