Welcome Home Wade!

Well today was a BIG day for Wade! He was going home to Shanghai to live with his new family and he just couldn't wait to get on that plane. First things first though, and we had to finish up some paperwork business at the government notary office and then apply for his Chinese passport. There was a lot of waiting around and he was quite board. After the business was complete, we headed to the airport to purchase his plane ticket. We were not able to purchase it ahead of time, because they needed to see his adoption certificate since he doesn't have his passport yet. We arrived three hours ahead of our flight time so we had a leisurely lunch and hung out. I think Wade was about to burst the whole morning. I did not imagine the extent of the excitement and happiness that he would have over joining our family. It has been a dream. God gets the credit and He has truly answered bundles of prayers.

You can see he won't stop smiling! I didn't have to coax him today. This was the best flight I have had in a long time. He said "Whoa" a hundred times and everything was amazing to him - especially the meal they served us on the plane. He thought that was incredible. He observed every movement of the plane and the mechanics on the wings. He loved the sunset and how high up we were. He kept pointing things out to us and saying, "Mom, look". I am still getting used to this little guy calling me "mom". From the time the adoption was final, he started calling us mom and dad. This morning I came out of the bathroom and he was awake in bed. He gave me the heartiest "Good Morning, Mom" I have ever received. He is not afraid to use what little English he knows. He will just fly with his language acquisition once it gets going. He has been a joy and a delight. He is so eager to please us and listen to any and all instructions we give him. When we got home tonight, he was wide-eyed in wonder. He continued his "whoas". Lucas and Lance were eager to show him his room. The girls made a name plate for his room door with his name in Chinese characters. He loved the spiderman things we had for him in his room. He is a BIG fan and wanted to work on the puzzle right then and there. I told him "ming tian" (tomorrow). He had a snack, played ping pong with Dad, helped us unpack and very willingly took his shower and brushed his teeth. When we said it was time for bed, he said "yes". So far, we are so very impressed with this young man. There is a lot for him to learn, but he is so eager and smart. His adjustment is going well. He likes us! We love him!! Time for me to say goodnight. This whole experience in the past week has exceeded our expectations and each day will be a new adventure that we look forward to.