It's Great To Be Home

On Monday I sat and listened to the sound of both of my daughters snore....I never realized such a sound could be so soothing. I sat in my big comfy chair in my bedroom and listened to the rhythm of their breathing over the monitor while I watched the trees outside my bedroom window sway in the Bloomington breezes. It was then I realized we are home.

Life has resumed some semblance of what normal will probably be from this point on. Mackenzie is back to school at Montessori in the moring and Cornerstone Christian Academy Pre-K in the afternoon. She insisted on going back on Tuesday. Against my better judgement I let her go. She was so excited about returning on Tuesday that she did not sleep AT ALL on Monday night....which means I didn't either. She had to be going on sheer adrenaline because all teachers at Montessori and Cornerstone assured me she did great and she was back to her usual bubbly, talkative self. She was scheduled for a hair cut after school where she practically fell asleep in the chair. She and Raegan were both due to attend Kinder Muzik at 5 and 5:15 and I gave her the option of going home. She insisted on going to Kinder Muzik so off we went. She did great at Kinder Muzik but needless to say it was a quick supper, bath, and straight to bed where she fell asleep before I could even get through all of the "White Swan Express". She slept like a log the rest of the night and had to be woke up for school the next day.

Raegan is doing great. She still is battling the giardia which is starting to get her down. We are in the process of trying to get a sample to test...that's easier said that done. She absolutely LOVES Mackenzie. When Mackenzie leaves for school we have to battle a little crying and she walks around the house crying, "Kenzie, Kenzie" for a little while. It's kind of cute, but also kind of sad. However, more and more of her personality comes out every day. She is talking more every day and her words get clearer all the time. She loves Mackenzie's Montessori teachers and runs up to them for them to hold her when we pick Mackenzie up. I wish there was a way we could take her straight to Montessori since she's already so comfortable. I could lie about her age.....but I think they'd get wise to me around that potty-trained requirement.

Raegan experienced her first Kinder Muzik class. She wasn't exactly participative during the music portion. However, when it came time to put the instruments back in the basket she was all over that. As a matter of fact, she would take the other students instruments from them to put them back, too. She somewhat of a neat-nick and VERY organized. She and I are going to get along GREAT!

Mackenzie continues to love being a big sister. However, Mackenzie is very focused on her experiences as a new Pre-K'er at Cornerstone Christian Academy every afternoon. She leaves every morning with her book bag on her shoulder (like Gabriella in High School Musical she says) and she is so excited when they put her in the car in the afternoon and the talking begins. She gets excited when she gets to wait in the gym with the "big kids" during pick-up time. She reaches into her bookbag and shows me the things her teacher has sent home. Every day she comes home with a new book from the school library for us to read. She talks about how they pray at school and study the Bible. I can't help but say a little "thank you" to God at that moment that He has blessed us in such a way that our daughters will actually get to pray and study the Bible at school. Last night she taught us a new prayer that she wants to do at supper time. She is such a great prayer...I know God is smiling when she is praying.

Dad has gone back to work. He's still very run down and pretty sick. He's almost gray and reminds me of the last time we came home from China. This is about the time we started testing him for SARS last time. He looks awful....but still comes home with a smile every day. He runs down pretty quickly at night. I can't wait for him to get well again so Raegan can totally experience her Dad. It is so fun to watch him walk in the door and both of his girls go running to him. I know his heart is practically bursting at that moment.

So....this is our life right now.....it don't get much better than this. Then.....reality will set in and I'll have to go back to work. That's OK....it's what helps us pay for schools where they pray, trips to Disneyland, and trips to China to bring home beautiul little China princesses.

On Our Way Home

We got up early Saturday morning and had our bags out in the hallway by 5:30am. We woke up our girls who woke up in extremely good moods considering it probably seemed like they had just gone to bed. Since breakfast was not being served quite that early in the breakfast downstairs it was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for everyone before we went to meet our bus.

We were told by Bill to be in the lobby at 6am sharp. So, when we arrived in the lobby at 5:50 and were still sitting there at 6:10, we began to get more than a little nervous. I think I probably even prayed....Dear Lord...please have mercy and don't make me spend one more day in China with CC Biggs if for some reason we miss this flight. God heard my prayer and the bus finally arrived.

We boarded our plane and prepared for Raegan's first flight. She was not the least bit happy when we sat her down and put that seat belt on her. But we kept telling her she had to sit, and if she needed to cry to feel better about she could go ahead. Somehow she sensed the crying wasn't going to do any good and she decided to sit back and enjoy the ride. Good thing....big sister Mackenzie was already starting to bargain with Dad to trade Raegan seats since she was sitting between Mackenzie and I. Dad had to explain to Mackenzie we couldn't very well have Raegan sitting in a row by herself.

When we got to Hong Kong we immediately looked for a place for the girls to grab a bite to eat. We remembered that for some reason the food on the plane leaving China was not as good as the food coming in to China. So we wanted to ensure we had something on their stomachs just in case. We found a snack bar and the girls were happy to get their first hot dog in more than 2 weeks. Melinda and I grabbed a Starbucks to get us through our flight. We then went to the gate to wait out the remaining 3-hour lay over.

Mackenzie and Meghan passed the time in the airport playing with their Leapsters while Raegan sat on Melinda'ths lap and colored. Finally our flight began to board. As we got on the plane we heard the captain say something to the effect of turbulence due to the Typhoon that had hit Japan. Oh boy! We headed back to the last row of the airplane to prepare for our ride. We sat Raegan down in her seat, and she immediately tried to find the seat belts. We just looked at each other. CC say, "Raegan do it?" Raegan took her seat belt and tried to figure out how to fasten it. With a little help from Daddy she got it done. Wow - that was too easy.

Well....if the flight was indicative of the impact of the Typhoon on Japan, let's just say I'm glad State Farm doesn't sell insurance in Asia. It felt like we experienced turbulence through the flight, or at least until we got over the US. We then experienced it again as we approached Chicago. Mackenzie kept saying, "Boy, the sky sure is bumpy today, Mom!"

Despite the bumpy sky, the girls were absolutely fantastic on the very long flight. Raegan slept a great deal. For the normal child this would be a good thing as it would mean the child was holding still. For Raegan...the opposite is true. We wrestled Raegan all over that row while she was sleeping. When she was awake, she was so good. Even people on the plane walked up to us and commented on how good our children were during the flight. The worst thing that happened was toward the end of the flight Raegan accidently bumped Mackenzie in the nose with her head and we battled a prefuse nose bleed as we hit the "bumpy skys" over Chicago.

When we landed in Chicago we had to go through Immigration. For most US Citizens going through Immigration after being in a foreign country this is a simple matter of standing in line and showing your passport. However, for us, we had to stand in the line with the "visitors" because Raegan was not a US citizen until she actually entered the country. So we had to stand in line.....then go and have a seat......let the nice man look at the paperwork and Raegan, and then move on to customs. Congratulations Raegan..you are now legally a US citizen.
As we walked through customs we looked toward the gate. We couldn't wait to see Danny and Mary (Klasen) and hit the road back to our car. However, as we approached the terminal we didn't see them. We looked around a while, and then we spotted them. There was a group with a banner, big balloons, and a bouquet or roses....looking down the tunnel and anxiously awaiting us to walk through a different set of doors. We snuck up behind them. We stood a while and then CC said....hey, who we waiting for? Everyone turned around and the welcome home began. Man....did it feel good. Raegan got to meet Aunt Vicki and Uncle Tom her first day in America. There was Danny, Mary, and Kaitlin. John, Lynn, Abbey, and Anya Haynes were there as well. And, Ken and Erin Keppler were there to get Mom and Meghan to take them back to Pennsylvania. It was so good to get such a welcome.

When we arrived at home Uncle Butch and Aunt Carolyn (Biggs) were waiting for us. So Raegan got to meet some family before she even went to bed.

Thank you, God for safe travels. It's so good to be home.

Homeward Bound

Today we went to the US Consulate along with at least 50 other families (if not more - gosh I hope they aren't ALL on our plane) for the swearing in ceremony. We were asked to raise our right hands (and ALL of us did, including Mackenzie AND Raegan) and swear all the information we have given the US government about us and our daughter is true. She has now been given a Chinese passport with a US visa and will be allowed to enter the country. Once she goes through immigration at the airport she will be a US citizen.

We do not have any pictures of the ceremony. You are not allowed to take cameras (or much of anything else) into the consulate.

We are so ready to come home ....we are all SOOO homesick. I think even Raegan is homesick. I miss my Mom and Mackenzie misses her school. Tomorrow morning we will get up early to have our bags downstairs at 5:30am and be in the van at 6am to head for Guangzhou airport. We'll then travel to Hong Kong and board United Airlines flight 896 at 12:45pm to Chicago O'Hare which will arrive at the internation terminal at 2:17pm. (No, the flight doesn't take 2 hours.....don't I wish. It takes over 14. China is 13 hours ahead of us.) The Klasens will pick us up and take us to our vehicle at their house. We'll then hop into our vehicle for the first time with two little princesses in the back and head for Bloomington. Home sweet home.

Please continue to pray for our safe travels. That is what has gotten us through this trip so amazingly so far. What a trip it has been. We wouldn't have missed it for the WORLD!

We love you all!!

Mom/Wielands/Biggs - we'll call as soon as we're on US soil!!!! We love you!

Please know we have not been able to receive emails for the past couple days for some reason. So we have not been able to moderate blog comments or have not received your emails you have sent. Sorry! :o(

Exam Day

We had an interesting night last night. One child continues to have INTERESTING diapers due to her battle with giardia. Last night Mackenzie decided to throw up right in her bowl of Ramen noodles. Thank God we ate in our room last night. How would I have explained THAT to the locals. However, this morning Mackenzie woke up and was just fine. This child just continues to AMAZE me on this trip. You all would be so proud of her if you could see her spirit during this journey....she just continues to teach me so many things every day.

After breakfast we headed down by the Pearl River. I had taken some pictures of Mackenzie here when we were here to adopt her. I wanted to try to recreate those same settings in a picture with an older Mackenzie. Unfortunately the park area has changed some and it was difficult to do. The local people were in the park area practicing their ballroom dancing, and Mackenzie and Meghan took the opportunity to show then some of their moves. Everyone enjoyed watching these two beautiful China dolls dance, and they even got applause after the first number.

We then strolled the island a little while to enjoy a cup of coffee and pass some time until Raegan's physical exam. There is another family here on Shamian that adopted a child from Shantou who was placed on the same day as Raegan. They are staying at our hotel, and we run into them often. It is so fun to watch the two girls interact with each other when they see each other. It is obvious that they remember each other. They jabber back and forth and smile. It reminds me of the babies on "Look Who's Talking Now".

Today was Raegan's physical exam to receive her visa for the United States. I remembered this exam well for Mackenzie. That morning Mackenzie had rolled off the bed and had broken her arm. However, we didn't realize anything was wrong with her until AFTER we had gotten back from the exam and we realized she wasn't using her right had to pick up Cheerios or toys. It was just laying limp by her side. A little later a trip to an emergency room in Guangzhou (now THAT was an adventure) determined she had broken her arm. She had that arm in a splint until Valentine's Day. They never even realized her arm was broken in the exam....so that should give you an idea of how thorough this exam usually is.

On the way to the exam we explained to Mackenzie what would be going on with Raegan. She had seen her video from the exam and knew what to expect. We explained that Raegan would probably cry, but no one was really hurting her. It would just be a little scary for her. We told her she could watch, but she had to stay out of the nurses' way. We told her if watching Raegan cry made her too upset, she could sit with Meghan and Melinda outside the room. She said it would be OK.

Just like every other baby I've watched go through this exam, Raegan did not like the doctors and nurses poking on her at all. As a matter of fact, she probably liked it even less and let her voice be heard about it. Watch out, Dr. Marshall....you are in for a fight during her first exam! I can't even imagine trying to draw blood from her.

Raegan was OK until she had to stick her tongue out and get the tongue depressor in her mouth. It went down hill from there. For Mommy and Daddy everything went incredibly smooth until they listened to her heart. She was crying VERY loudly by then, so it was difficult for the nurse to hear her heart very well. They knew she was a VSD child, so we ended up having to go to about three different doctors....each one listening to her heart. None of them smiled....so that doesn't make you feel very reassured. Dad had handled the exam up until we had to take her to another doctor...then Mom took over. It's not like you can ask these doctors any questions....and those of you who know me best know how THAT was killing me. I just know Jean Biggs was up in Heaven going....Watch out, Doc, the Little General is getting ready to ask questions, you've had it now! However....I was able to make eye contact with Bill who was able to reassure me that it was all very precautionary and they were just ensuring every thing was OK.

From there we went on to the weight and height measurements. This was the part I was waiting for. Are you ready...... she weighs 26 POUNDS!! Every one that sees her says... BIG BABY! Yea, BIG BABY, Try lifting her! By the time I laid her down for length measurements she had had enough and got VERY upset. I hate it when they give you that look like....make them stop, Mommy. I tried my best to calm her....but she was TICKED OFF!

Once the doctors got done poking around on her she quickly settled down. I've never seen her more ready to get back in her stroller. All the while, her big sister Mackenzie never left her side.

We're back in our room now. Everyone is taking a short nap since it's a little late. It's a little rainy here again today. We're having Danny's Pizza tonight. Tomorrow (Thursday) we have to stay in our room until Bill has left the Consulate just in case he has questions for us. Then Friday afternoon we go to the Consulate for the swearing-in ceremony. Then, Saturday....Home Sweet Home!

Life on Shamian Island

Just some pictures from our life on Shamian Island.

The picture on the left is of Mackenzie, Meghan, and Stella. Stella is the young lady who works at the store that we've freguented for clothes and shoes for Raegan (everything we brought is a little snug) and they also do our laundry. The island is full of these little shops and each one has a "Stella" that works very hard to sell you their goods. Some will go so far as to stand on the street and talk you into coming into their store. It's a little uncomfortable for us Americans that aren't used to that behavior. However, after a while you get used to it. Many of these young ladies work very long hours and make commisions only.
To burn off some young energy, we often head
down to the playground. OSHA and DCFS would have a field day with the equipment. However, as you can see on the right it is a very popular place for Moms and young children, especially on the weekends. You can see Meghan on the running track. Mackenzie and I are running a distant second and third behind her.

We spend a lot of time on Shamian Island just strolling around. Other than sitting in the hotel room, there isn't much else to do. Thank God the weather has been sooo pleasant that strolling is actually very relaxing.


Our choices of cuisine are rather limited here on the island. Especially when you're like I am and not willing to venture out with the unknown. I've SEEN what they sell in those buckets at the Guangzhou market!!! Many time we just sit in the room and enjoy Ramen noodles for lunch or supper. MawMaw Mac will be glad to know that Raegan loves Ramen noodles just as much as Mackenzie does. Come to think of it.....we haven't found much of anything Raegan doesn't like. I think it's so cute when she crosses her legs and puts her bowl in her lap to eat. She actually leans over the bowl.

Tomorrow we go for Raegan's passport and her medical exam necessary for her visa.

Guangzhou Zoo and Ocean World

On Sunday morning we decided to go to the Guangzhou Zoo and Ocean World. So, after breakfast, we hailed a couple taxis and off we went. It was sunny and warm today. A little bit hot, but really not too bad.

The Guangzhou Zoo was a nice surprise. I don't really know what I was expecting, but it was really pretty enjoyable. It certainly wasn't the St. Louis Zoo, but it was a great way to pass the time. We did get to see the giant Panda and Melinda took advantage of the opportunity to get a couple photos of a Panda in China.

There is also an Ocean World part of the Guangzhou Zoo. This was definitely the best part of the trip. I'm not sure how old Ocean World is, but it appeared to be very modern and very new. The girls really enjoyed it, especially the Dolphin show. Inside there were also all kind of tanks with very beautiful fish. Even Raegan enjoyed seeing all the beautiful, colorful fish.


After the trip to the Zoo and Ocean World it was back to the hotel where I stayed the rest of the night. I woke up with a head full and had a Kleenex stuffed in my nose most of the day. By the time I got back to the room I was chilled and achey. I thought I was going to escape it this time, but just like last time, I seem to have a good old case of what we call the Guangzhou Crud! :o)

Melinda had some great sinus medicine and I took that and went back to bed. Got up this morning good as new. So...No Mom.....I don't have SARS!

Thank God - Sunshine!

Even though it brought heat and even more humidity with it, we were glad to see the sunshine today. We seized this opportunity to go see the Yutian Botanical Gardens. This was one of the sights that we missed when we were here last time as the group went that day after that infamous event of Mackenzie rolling off the bed and breaking her arm.

The gardens were beautfiul and even though it was hot, I was glad we had a sunny day to enjoy them with all of their color. It was very interesting to watch the men creating the sculptures with foliage. It was just another example of the intricate detail the Chinese put into everything they do, especially their art work.

Mackenzie and Meghan were excellent even with the heat. They enjoyed the gardens because many of the sculpture really capture their attention. They also enjoyed feeding the coy in the pond. Our budding photographer, Meghan, enjoyed taking pictures. And, at the very end the ever she and Mackenzie enjoyed a photo shoot right by the fountain. Mackenzie ALWAYS up for a good photo shoot.

After the gardens we went back to Shamian and had a great lunch at the Cow and Bridge. Mackenzie LOVES the Cow and Bridge. I find this remarkable since the first time we were here we had one meal there and I just wouldn't go back. She has really eaten very well here - probably much better than Mom.

After lunch Raegan and Daddy went to the room to take a nap. The "big girls" went to the playground to burn off some energy. It was very hot, but the girls enjoyed the playtime. We then went to the Beatrice to get an ice cream treat to cool them off. While we sat outside the Beatrice to enjoy our ice cream, Mackenzie struck up a conversation with one of the locals (imagaine that). The local people love to talk to Americans to practice their English. Many of them are very good. Melinda and I also were able to have a conversation with two young women who were in college their in Guangzhou. One was a sophmore at the local college studying English. She hoped to teach English as a second language to young children.
We went back to the room to rest a bit before dinner. We agreed it was back to Lucy's for dinner and then a stroll before we turned in for the night. Both Mackenzie and Meghan had managed to stay awake all day. We were sure they were both in for a GREAT night's sleep.

A Day in Guangzhou

After two rainy days in a row, we all have a serious case of cabin fever. You can only play so many games of "Go Fish" and it not start becoming as serious as a good Texas Hold 'Em tournament. It was time to get out.

It was very important to us that we use this opportunity to introduce Mackenzie to as much of the "real" China we thought her young mind could handle. So, today we all crossed the bridge from Shamian Island over to Guangzhou proper. Many people think when they see Hong Kong or Beijing they have seen China. However, those are very westernized cities and really don't represent the majority of how China really lives. Guangzhou is a good way to get a small glimpse, although I suspect it is still rather "modernized" compared to a great deal of China.

Mackenzie and Meghan did excellent considering the sights and smells they encountered, not to mention the long walk. There were lots of "learning" opportunities and, of course, LOTS of questions. They held their noses a lot, but I think both truly appreciated the fact that we were there to learn about their mother country. I just can't get over how well both girls are doing with their trip to a foreign country that looks (or smells) NOTHING like where they come from. (I now have a greater appreciation for our "money pit" on Woodfield Road :o) )


The weather in Guangzhou this time of year is normally very hot. We're on the same latittude as Havana, Cuba, so that should give you an idea of the typical weather. However, the weather is unseasonably cooler for September. It is proably in the 70's. All the local people are commenting on it. However, it is still extemely humid.

We experiened the Guangzhou marketplace which has things in buckets that people buy for cooking that we ended up having to "explain" away to Mackenzie. We didn't want to broaden her horizons too quickly....that's the kind of thing that could create a "night terror". It does for Mommy!! We went shopping through the jade and pearl markets. We purchased items in these stores when we here last time for Mackenzie when she turns 16. This trip we plan to purchase pearls for both girls when they marry. The prices are EXTREMELY cheaper than in the US, and it's also neat that they came from the country of their birth.

I took Mackenzie into a Buddhist Temple. The people were lighting incense and praying to Buddha. She immediately caught on that the people were kneeling and praying. She asked me if we were in a church. I explained that many people worship Buddha, not our God, and this was their church. The incense burned her nose but she kept walking and exploring. We went inside the building and there were 500 golden Buddha's displayed. Mackenzie was in awe. People inside were worshipping and praying, and it was remarkable how respectful Mackenzie was as if she realized she was in a place of worship. She asked where the kids went to Sunday School and if they had "Miss Melissa." I had to explain they probably did not go to Sunday School, or Vacation Bible School, or have a Miss Melissa, and how lucky we were that we had all that.

Meghan and Mackenzie both recognized and got excited when they saw the friendly golden arches of McDonalds . We told Raegan she would understand sooner than she realized. Thank God they didn't ask if we could eat there. We did find a Pizza Hut and had a pizza before we started the journey back to our hotel room.


On the way back to the hotel Mackenzie talked about everything that she saw. She asked if she could take the pictures to school for "News" and share with her classroom. So we decided we'd put together a small scrapbook of her China adventure so she could bring it to school to share her experience.

Ms Michaels and Ms. Gettles....you should know that Mackenzie misses you something awful and asks everyday....do you think my friends at Montessori are going to miss me SOOO MUCH. I assure her that yes...you all miss her SOOO MUCH. :o) So, your comment on the blog yesterday was so nice and when I shared it with Mackenzie she smiled and was very happy.

We returned to our room just in time. Raegan was ready for a nap. Mackenzie and I then went out for some "Mommy and Mackenzie" time. However, our stroll on Shamian Island was cut short. We got caught in the pouring down rain. However, we used the opportunity to sing songs all the way back to the hotel room about rain. Rain, rain, go away....come again some other day.

We continue to do so well it amazes us. Even Bill (Sunny Ridge staff person) has commented more than once how "placement has been easier than anyone anticipated. We are battling a small case of "giardia" with Raegan that has caused some "adveturous" diapers. Other than that.....everything is GREAT!

I still have to pinch myself when I watch this sight down the hall.

It's Official - She's A Biggs

It's official...she's a Biggs. Yay!!!!!!

We took Mackenzie to the Civil Affairs meetings with us today. We wanted her to see the process that we went through in order to have her officially declared a Biggs. She was so good. Taking it all in. There were SOOO many children being placed and registered today. Mackenzie asked why there were so many "childwen" there today. I explained to her that ALL of the beautiful children there today had finally found their Mommy's and Daddy's and were going home in a couple weeks just like Raegan. She just looked at me and smiled and said, "That's pretty cool." Yes, Mackenzie, that's pretty cool.

When we walked in today we met the caregiver who had presented Raegan to us as soon as we turned the corner. Our hearts sank because we just knew this was going to cause a reaction from Raegan, and she had had such a wonderful morning all morning. Woke up in such good spirits, ate a good breakfast, and was doing really well. As soon as we saw the caregiver she stopped to ask about Raegan. I probably would have been concerned if she had done anything else, but part of me was really wishing she had just smiled and walked on past. She was so nice and we answered all of her questions. She had asked Jeffery to exchange two US 100 dollar bills for her as she could not get them converted because they were too "worn." (Adoption agencies tell their people to order brand new 100 dollars bills to come to China because they will not be able to convert older money.) So Jeffery worked with her to get the two bills to her. The whole time I'm thinking, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up. But then, I looked down at Raegan and she didn't even pay any attention to the caregiver. As the caregiver walked away she looked at Raegan and said "bye bye Le Huan". Raegan just looked up and went right back to her toy she had brought. YES!!!!!

We then went to our meeting with the Department of Notary. That was quick and painless. Mackenzie handed the nice woman the gift and we moved on down the hall to get our picture taken. This was the worst part. Mackenzie could not be in the picture. So, I had to explain to her why Mommy, Daddy, and Raegan were getting their picture taken and she couldn't be in it. You could tell she didn't understand, and she didn't like it. I thought my heart was going to break. I then promised her that it would be the absolute LAST picture we ever have taken as a family without her. I then asked her if she would stand behind the camera and try to get Raegan to smile. She was all good then, and it was so cute watching her try to get her sister to laugh.

Then down the hall to the Department of Civil Affairs. That was even quicker and we were on our way. Bill (our Sunny Ridge staff person in China) is so good. I tell everyone I know that I feel we got special treatment when we were here for Mackenzie because we were with Sunny Ridge. I feel it even more so with Raegan.

We came back to the room, changed back into our clothes and headed to the Cow and Bridge again to eat. It's so fun to watch Mackenzie eat here. She doesn't know to "not" like it. So, she eats things that even Jeffery and I won't eat. Today she ate 3 helpings of fried noodles with beef - she loves it. Raegan could live on congee and rice, although I did try several different foods at breakfast. I think she'll "try" anything. She also feeds herself pretty well. That shocked me.

We then went off to buy some shoes for Raegan. She had on a pair of sandals when she was presented to us. They don't have a mark on them, but, as Mackenzie would say, "they don't match." So, we went to go purchase a couple pair of squeeky shoes. (Michelle - you have GOT to let me know what size Carly wears and what color(s)- I have found a store with a GREAT selection.) I had to get squeeky shoes because Mackenzie has a pair that we kept in her "keepsakes" chest and we wanted to do the same for Raegan. But, also, you can take the squeekers out and you can't buy a pair of shoes this cheap in the states.

Everyone is napping now. Tonight....good old pasta and pizza from Danny's Pizza (those of you who have been to Shamian know what I'm talking about.). Bill and the Keppler girls will join us.

Thank you to those of you who are tuning in and commenting. It's so nice to know that someone is out there watching our journey. We wish you ALL could see it from here!

Good Morning from the 4 Biggs!

CC, Tina, Raegan, Mackenzie, and the caregiver from Shantou.

Wow!! Woke up yesterday with one child. Woke up this morning with two!!! God is good!

Last night was probably the best night's sleep any of us got. I think our clocks are finally getting adjusted. We actually woke up this morning and it was getting light outside. Yay!!!

Today we go to Civil Affairs for the "official" adoption. We are going to get up and get going to the White Swan for an awesome breakfast.

Raegan, believe it or not, slept through the entire night without so much as a whimper. As a matter a fact.....she's still sleeping. She is just an incredible little girl. She is walking pretty well. Her motor skills are EXCELLENT. She very strong with her hands. She likes to stack things up and have them nice and neat (Dear God....could you just see that she maintains that when she gets to Bloomington? :o) ) She has these really cute sad eyes, until she smiles, and then her whole face lights up. She has these big ears and I'm trying to imagine pig tails.....I'm just not sure. :o) Her hair is very short right now, but thicker than Mackenzie's at that age. Her tiny scar from her surgery is barely noticeable. However, Miss Mackenzie noticed it right away during PJ time and so we used that opportunity to tell her about Raegan being sick and having surgery. We let Mackenzie touch it so she knows it's OK. She just looked at Raegan and said "It's going to be OK, Raegan" Mackenzie has just been so awesome.

Here are some more pics. The blogger wouldn't let me post many pics last night......or maybe my brain couldn't post because I was asleep .... not sure which. :o)

Proud Daddy and his new little girl.

Mom and her girls.

The two best things that have ever happened to us.

September 11 - Gotcha Day!

The day we have been waiting for finally arrived. Today we were joined with our beautiful Raegan Jean Biggs!!

We left for the Civil Affairs building at 3:30pm. When we got there it was VERY busy with the placement of children. The hallways were filled with crying children. I didn't think I could get nervous like I did on Mackenzie's Gotcha Day, but I actually did.

Raegan came to us without a whimper. She actually walked into the room holding her caregivers hand. She was holding a sweet that looked kind of like a marshmallow in a plastic wrapper. She kept rubbing it between her fingers. She came right to CC at first, then she came to me. She was fasinated by Mackenzie. I was glad Mackenzie was there as it eased Raegan's transition. We also caught her catching all of the activitiy around her. We understand from her care giver that she is "very busy, very observant, explorer." Oh boy!

She did not utter a peep until her care giver exited the room. Then she began to cry. It's one of those cries that will break your heart - lots of heavy sobs. Thank God it was a short one. We met Becky and her husband from our Shantou Yahoo group. They were getting ready to have their child placed as well. Since their child was getting ready to come in we were told it would be a good time to leave before Raegan saw more children and care givers from her institute.

We took a quick taxi back to our hotel and we came to our room. Mackenzie automatically kicked it into big sister mode. She helped fix Raegan's bottle, and also helped get Raegan's toys out and help her to play.

Raegan is the cutest thing, It's safe to say her surgery was successful. She is the most solid 22 pound child I believe I've ever held. If she's 22 pounds then I can still fit in the wedding dress I wore 18 years ago....and trust me, I can't. Raegan is a chunky monkey.

Raegan began to get a little whiny and through one heck of a screaming fit when we put her in the stroller. We finally took her out and let Mackenzie get in. We walked to dinner at the Cow and Bridge and got everyone fed. All it took was a little congee and rice and she was like a new child.

As we came out of the restaurant, Raegan was very content to sit in the stroller and take a ride. When we got back to our room we put pajamas on and she practically undressed herself. Once Mackenzie was a asleep I put Raegan in her crib with her new I-Spy quilt that MawMaw Judy made her. It wasn't long she put her fingers in her mouth and she was out. I even TRIED to give her "woobie". She wouldn't take it.

As Jeffery said on the way back from the hotel. "Well, Mackenzie, we are 2 for 2 on this adoption thing. I don't know what we did right for God to decide to give us to children that were perfect for us , but he did. "

We'll post more tomorrow. For some reason blogger is not letting me post any more pictures. Everyone is sleeping peacefully but me. I intend to join them. Tomorrow we get up and go to the Civil Affairs building for her "official" adoption. As far as we're concerned....it's as official as it needs to get for us......she's pretty much ours.

Guangzhou - With New Eyes

We said good-bye to Hong Kong this morning. Hong Kong is a great city and we wish we could have seen more of it. We left there saying we would definitely be back some day. Even Mackenzie and Meghan were sad to leave.

Our plane arrived on time in Guangzhou and the staff from the Victory Hotel were there to meet us. We then met "Uncle Bill" (as though of us who know him fondly call him), Sunny Ridge's staff person in China. It was so good to see him, and even though they weren't sure who he was the girls ran up and gave him a big hug.

The Victory had a shuttle bus waiting for us and it was nice visiting with Bill all the way back to Guangzhou. As we came upon Shamian Island we could look across the bridge and see the very familiar streets that we walked over and over in 2003. I couldn't believe how glad I was to see it. Suddenly, an island that I couldn't wait to escape from in 2003 looked much different to me. It's hard to describe. It was almost like coming back home. I would never have dreamed I would feel the way I feel about coming back to this island.

We checked into our hotel (the new Victory - not the same Victory we were in before with Mackenzie) and then headed down the streets down to our favorite hang outs while we were here last time, Lucy's! While we walked I could remember the feeling of taking Mackenzie into all those shops and looking at clothes. As I looked at the Americans walking by with young China dolls in their umbrella stollers I had to smile because I knew what they were feeling. I remember when Melinda, me, Mary Klasen, Cindy Cairns, Marilou Noonan, and Lynn Haynes walked around just like they did - with our hearts full of joy and our heads full of questions. And I had to smile when I thought about how I wondered back then "Will Mackenzie like being my daughter? Am I going to be a good Mom, or do I just make a good Aunt?" As I looked at those new Moms tonight, I could tell they had very similar questions running around their heads. It was like fear and joy written on their faces all at once.

Tomorrow at 4:30 we will be joined with Raegan Jean Biggs at the Civil Affairs building in Guangzhou. Mackenzie will be going with us to meet her little sister. Tomorrow...we'll be pushing the umbrella stoller with a beautiful little China doll in it, and one walking beside it. How could this island NOT feel a little bit like coming home.

OMG - What a Day!!!

Well...it's the land of fairy tales, and two little girls dreams definitely came true today. What a day....never in my wildest dreams could I have visualized the day going like this.

We got up bright and early since our body clocks are ALL messed up. Melinda had already been out walking around and found a Starbucks....so we hit it right after breakfast.

Our driver, Jimmy, arrived around 10am to take us to Hong Kong Disney. Oh my gosh...you've never seen two little girls so excited when we entered under the big sign. It was almost as if they could read.

We started walking down the Main Street path and had barely really entered the park when a staff person stopped us. "How many in your group?", she asked CC. There are five of us. She said "Perfect - would you like to be in a parade?" I looked at Mackenzie and thought - does Micky Mouse have ears?

She explained that at 3pm there would be a parade and she would like us to be the Grand Marshalls for the parade. The parade would happen rain or shine. We were to be at the "City Hall" on Main Street at 2:30pm. We were so excited!!

We proceeded to take in all the sights of Disney. And, of course, the question of the day was, "Where is Cinderella?" We kept saying we'd have to keep our eye out for her. I wish you could have heard the exclamations as we walked up and Cinderella's castle came in to view.

Unfortunately, the rains came and we had to quit riding the rides. We didn't let it dampen our spirits though. We had a parade to be in! At 2:30, we reported to City Hall as we were told.

The staff person who was there was waiting for us. We didn't really know what to expect, and we'd got to the point where we figured there would be several "Grand Marshalls" for this parade. But, when we got to City Hall, we found out we truly were the only Grand Marshall for this particular parade, even though they hold more than one a day.

Our staff person took us back to a special room. She gave each of us our "Mickey" ears. Each of them had our names embroidered on the back. She gave the girls a full set of Disney character "stickers", and we also got a certificate showing the the Biggs family were Grand Marshalls for the parade that day.

At about 2:45, they walked us back to our special car. It was pouring down rain, but we didn't care. And, neither did the hundreds of people who were at Hong Kong Disney that day. As we came out of the gate the voice on the loud speaker announced, "Ladies and Gentleman, please welcome our Grand Marshall's for Mickey's Rainy Day Express parade, the Biggs family from Illinois in the USA. Our car started rolling down the streets of Disneyland, and we all waved to the crowd as we went by. Those two little Princesses did not miss a beat when it came to waving. (I think we have future homecoming queens in the making - oh brother.)

Once our car stopped, we were able to get out and get somewhere in time to see the rest of the parade. The girls got to see Cinderella and Snow White, just not up close like they wanted to. BUT...I think they were OK with that....being able to say they were in the parade WITH her was much more fun.

Out of all the hundred of people at that park that day, I cannot for the life of me figure out why we were picked to be the Grand Marshalls for a parade at Hong Kong Disney. Sometimes the universe just conspires with you.

We Are In China!

We arrived in Hong Kong today. What a GREAT city. Thank YOU to Michelle Miller for recommending the Marco Polo. SWEET!

Mackenzie was AWESOME on the plane today. She slept a great deal. Melinda Keppler brought a craft project for Mac and Meghan, so she spent a great deal of time sitting back with them since they had an extra seat. She is just the greatest traveler!!!

Tonight we toured down town Hong Kong and then caught a late dinner at Hard Rock (always safe with Hard Rock. This morning we learned from Bethanne that we will NOT be able to go to Raegan's institute. They are not going to allow us to visit. I'm kind of bummed.

Other than that it was a GREAT day. It's hard to believe we're in China again, but we're so glad to be here!!

Tomorrow - a BIG day for Mackenzie Biggs. Hong Kong Disney!!!! Jimmy (our tour guide) will be here to et us around 10am.

Biggs China Itinerary (Revised)

Here is an updated itinerary:

September 6, 2006 - Dinner with Klasens and they drive us to hotel. Our vehicle is at their house.

September 7, 2006 - Depart Chicago O'Hare United Flight 895 12:18p,

September 8, 2006 - Arrive Hong Kong @ 4:50pm. Meet Jimmy (our guide).

September 9, 2006 - Go to Hong Kong Disney

September 10, 2006 - Sunday, fly to Guangzhou (not sure about the time yet)
Victory staff will meet us at airport. Bill (Sunny Ridge staff person in China.) will come in a flight right after us. We'll then go to the Victory Hotle (phone - 011-8620-8121-6688)

September 11 - Gotcha Day - Raegan will be placed at 4pm.

September 12 - Tuesday, Adoption Registration and Notary interviews. Adoption is final.

September 13 thru 19 - Transition, sight-seeing,

September 20 - Medical appointment

September 21 - Consultate appointment / swear-in in the afternoon

September 22 - Pick up visa and prepare for departure

Sepetmber 23 - Depart Guangzhou 8:55am Flight #CZ301 Arrive Hong Kong 9:50am
Depart Hong Kong UA 896 Arriving at O'Hare @ 2:17pm Klasens will pick us up.

It's Confirmed - US Consulate on September 21

At 7am this morning Bethanne contacted us to let us know that our September 21 consulate date has been confirmed. This means we will be traveling this week as planned. Unfortunately we could not get on a flight on Wednesday, September 6. But we will fly out on Thursday, September 7. Our travel to China will look something like this:

September 6 - Drive to Chicago to Klasen's house who will take us to the Airport Hilton. Our vehicle will stay at their house.

September 7 - Flight 895 departs Chicago O'Hare at 12:18pm non-stop to Hong Kong. We wll meet Melinda and Meghan Keppler at the International Gate and they will be traveling with us to China.

September 8 - arrive in Hong Kong at 4:50pm (they are 14 hours ahead of us)

A guide will meet us at the airport and take us to the Marco Polo hotel in Kowloon.

September 9 - Sightseeing in Hong Kong. This should include Hong Kong Disney.

September 10 - Fly to Guangzhou (don't know flights or hotels at this time. Being handled by Sunny Ridge.)

September 10 or 11 - Raegan will be placed with us at our hotel.

September 12 - Interviews with Department of Civil Affairs and Department of Notary. Adoption is final.

The rest of our stay will be various sight seeing, hopefully including a trip to Shantou to visit Raegan's institute. We will also pick up Raegan's Chinese passport, have her medical exam, and finalize her paperwork.

September 21 - Swearing in ceremony at US Consulate.

September 22 - Pick up Raegan's Visa

September 23 - Depart Guangzhou to Hong Kong. Depart Hong Kong on flight 896 to Chicago O'Hare at 12:45pm. Arrive at Chicago O'Hare at 2:17pm. Klasens will be there to pick us up. We'll go to our car and head for Bloomington.

We will update our itinerary as we know more details.