Gotcha Day - Feb. 26, 2013

I'm totally exhausted, but I know you're all probably up looking for a post, so I decided I'd hold off sleep a little longer.

Callie is laying on the bed next to me looking at pictures on Lily's Ipad and laughing her head off!  The two of them are like two peas in a pod.  Kindred spirits, for sure!

We went to Chung Yi this afternoon a bit early so Lily could check out her old school.  We did manage to find Chung Yi on a Chinese Map, on foot!  Thank you so much Dad, for teaching me to read maps!  I can even do it in Chinese - LOL  The director of the orphanage is the same director that has been there for years.  She was so excited to see Lily, laughing and tearing up, as did one of her "mamas" that also came to greet us, who is now a vice director.  She then walked us down to Lily's school so we could take pictures.  It was hot today 82 degrees, and it just cracks me up how all the locals still had long sleeve shirts and winter coats on. On the way to Lily's school a younger guy came riding up on a bike calling Lily's Taiwanese name.  It was a worker from Chung Yi that use to take her to kindergarten and do errands for the orphanage   He was so excited to see her, too!  The school looks pretty much the same as it did 5 years ago and Lily got her pictures.

We then walked back to Chung Yi and talked to the director a bit more.  After awhile, they took us down the street just a little bit to another building that houses Chung Yi's social workers, including Alice.  We sat in a room while she got the final paperwork together to go over with us.  Callie came in, but they took her to another room, while we met with her government social worker and her orphanage social worker.  We talked to them for awhile and they told us things about Callie and we were able to ask questions.  They also gave us two photos of her grandfather that had passed away 3 years ago who was her main caregiver.  One of the pictures is of the two of them together.  That really choked me up.  I'm so glad we have two photos of him and a note with two addresses and two phone numbers, which they don't know who these addresses belong to, but maybe some day we'll find out.  We did find out that her grandfather's family is from Hun-an Province in China, so it could be addresses of relatives in China.

Then, finally after about 1/2 hour, they brought Callie in to sit with us.  We didn't sit there long, but they then asked Callie if she had questions for us, which she said not really and laughed.  She laughs a lot!  We weren't inn that room too much longer and they took us back to the main Chung Yi building.  Then, they took multiple photos and the guy that was so excited to see Lily gave her two old photos of her.  Then Callie's social worker from Northern Region Children's Home, her orphanage, and another caregiver from NRCH that brought her to Taipei, said their good-byes.  They were crying buckets and hugging Callie so tight.  Rick then hugged the social worker and she actually let him just hold her for a bit.  It was priceless.  These two women love Callie like their own child.  So hard to watch,, but I thanked them for taking such good care of Callie and that they were good mamas to her.

After that Alice took us on a tour of Chung Yi, so that Lily could see her old room.  We saw another mama in the baby room that remembered taking care of Lily as a toddler.  More hugs!  The babies there were soooo cute!  I told Alice I'd take them all home with me if they'd let me.  She just laughed.  I could take a picture of them, but trust me, they were cute!!!  On the top floor is a meeting room for the kids to do special things and the kitchen.  Well, both the cooks came out and they were the same cooks Lily had.  Again, more pictures :)

Then, we went back downstairs and they called a taxi for us.  We took Callie back to the room and played a game with her for awhile.  Then she and Lily hung out and played Nintendo DS on the bed.  We've been trying all week to get Lily to try speaking more Mandarin and she basically said she didn't remember.  Well, in the last 5 hours her Mandarin has come back - Hahaha!  She can't get all the words, but enough that Callie knows what she's saying.  So funny!

Tomorrow we're off to AIT (American Institute in Taiwan) which is our US embassy here.  Hopefully, we don't have any issues with her visa!

I hope everything is good at home!  Thanks Cam and Alli for watching the boys!!!!!!