This is something else.

I have so many thoughts and emotions swirling through my brain, sometimes I think I just might bust.  The past three days have been totally and completely unbelievable.  As I've prepared myself and my people for this trip, our motto has been, "Expect the worst.  Hope for the best."  I was prepared for us all to be deathly ill, for Mary to hate our guts, and for there to be NOTHING we like about this place.  Well, that would have been the worst.  But instead, we got the BEST.  I'm learning so much about the Lord through this adoption process.... and through this trip, I'm keenly aware that He is our SUSTAINER.  He is the ONLY thing I have to depend on right now..... cause this is hard.  Yes, it's wonderful.  Yes, it's beautiful.  Yes, it's precious.  But IT IS HARD.  And I am praying without ceasing like I ain't never prayed without ceasing before.

Get in the van with a person you've never met and doesn't speak your language just because your name is on his sign?  PRAY.

See your daughter walk into the room and know that she must be scared to death? PRAY.

Watch your daughter eat and eat and eat and know that she needs the food because she's so terribly skinny and frail?  PRAY.

Have your baby girl refuse any and all drinks?  PRAY.

Take special notice that there haven't been any wet diapers in several hours and you worry already about dehydration?  PRAY.

Know that your child feels hot and remember that the orphanage person mentioned that she'd been running fever lately?  PRAY.

Ride in a van in China traffic?  PRAY.

There's just so much.  But because of His love for us, prayer is enough.  And all of the above worked itself out..... and MORE.

Our first day in Shanghai was Sunday and it was a leisurely day of sleeping late, enjoying the DELICIOUS breakfast buffet, and walking around the area surrounding the hotel with our guide.

Our second day in Shanghai was Monday:  GOTCHA DAY.  One of the BEST days of my entire life.

Our third day in Shanghai was Tuesday:  Today, Jiang Ruiyang officially became Mary Jewel Powell.  At the final paperwork visit of the day, they asked if we would treat her as our very own and love her as we would our two sons.  That was the FIRST time I've cried.  I was, at that moment, rocking the child in question to sleep.  YES.  Of course.  I love her so much already.

So, here's a pictorial of our first three days.  (Our VPN is not cooperating on this computer, so my blogging has been hindered.  Not to mention that my minutes are spent playing with, cuddling, and feeding a cute little miss.)

Now, here are a WHOLE bunch of pictures..... but they posted in a wonky, random order.  Again.... I am tired, this VPN keeps knocking me off, and I'm not spending time putting them in the correct order. So.  I'll give brief descriptions below each picture and y'all just put them in chronological order in your brains. I'll even put the day it happened in parentheses.  K?  Good.  Here we go!

(Tues) The child can eat.  Here, she's finishing off the last of a HUGE bowl of fried rice.  She likes the rice.

(Tues) Playtime!  She's a GOOD player.  Likes to play with us.... or, will play by herself.  She prefers hard toys over soft and must ALWAYS have a bowl of cheerios beside her.  See it?  She's emptied that container of Cheerios about five times TODAY.  I don't care.  She's a frail little thing......

(Tues)These two got carted ALL over the China today doing adoption paperwork.  They were making up some kind of game at some point, I think and were laughing their heads off.  While they SHOULD be looking out the window taking in the sights of inner city Shanghai, they're playing "Hide and Seek at Disney World."  Geesh.  Truly, though..... their patience was amazing today.

(Tues)This is the moment where Jiang Ruiyang became Mary Powell.  She's ours and we are thankful.

(Tues)Here is where you go to do the last little bit of paperwork on the China side of the adoption.  We had to get our picture made..... Mary was a little miffed at this point and who could blame her.  It was one million degrees in that tiny picture taking room and everyone, I mean EVERYONE, was in her face talking in rapid Chinese.  Then, they wanted her to SMILE at the picture?  No.  Joe and I were grinning, though..... cause EVERYONE in the room waiting to get THEIR pictures made (for marriages or divorce....) were all waving at her and trying to get her to smile.  It was a SCENE.  I just kept saying (out loud, cause no one could understand me anyway).... JUST GET ME OUT OF THIS ROOM.  (But I smiled while I said it.)

(Tues) This is what comes after a long day of paperwork and becoming a Powell and all.  And this is how she goes to sleep every time..... two fingers in mouth, the other hand playing with her ear.  And she assumes this position with no warning at all.... one minute, she's laughing and eating Cheerios and the next minute, she lays down and looks like this..... usually sound asleep in minutes.  Poor baby has put herself to sleep for far too long..... can't wait to get to the nearest rocking chair at my house!

(Tues)  First breakfast (at the awesomest breakfast buffet ever!) as a family of 5!  Mary and Jack both LOVE the fried rice (at breakfast!)!  Dad keeps talking about the coffee.  Max likes the omelets and toast maker.  I like the hot tea and the croissants.  Yummy.

(Mon)  Just hours after the Gotcha moment!  She has only cried twice for about five seconds each.  Very easily soothed so far...... See the cheerios?  The ultimate soother......

(Mon)  This was what she was wearing on her last day as an orphan.  Glad she at least had the frilly socks.

(Mon):  Gotcha.  An amazing moment.  Chaotic, nerve-wracking, scary..... but then there's that moment when you're talking to her.... and she listens.  Everything else?  I dunno.  Ask Joe.  He was filling out paperwork and answering questions about why we wanted to adopt.  THIS is what I was doing.  I win.

(Mon)  Here we are!  The Powell family of FIVE!  I don't know why my face looks that way.  I think Mary was throwing Cheerios at the orphanage director.

(Mon)  All packed and ready to go!  We had to take gifts for the orphanage officials.... we had American vitamins and Jelly Bellies. Then, that's Mary's backpack of tricks and her blanket that Mudger made for her.

(Mon)  Gotcha Day backpack.... ready to be stuffed.  We have a lovey, a book, some stickers, wet wipes, suckers, a rattle, and some juice.  Her favorites:  the book and Cheerios and that pink and purple rattle thing up front.  She LOVES that thing.  Wears it like an old lady wears her purse.  Must have it all the way up to her elbow at all times. 

(Sun):  Yummy.  Fried rice and noodles.  And hot Pepsi.  BEST FRIED RICE EVER.

(Every day):  Mary is eating her weight in these.  Had to go to the Chinese WalMart to get more.  

(Sun)  Went to the mall around the corner from our hotel and the boys hopped in these massage chairs.  They stayed there a WHILE.

(Sun)  Shanghai is HUGE.  The buildings go on in every direction forEVER.

(Sun)  It's the same here.

Currently, we are eating a Papa Johns pizza in the room.  Mary will get her first bath tonight (after she wakes up from her nap..... she's sucking on those two fingers right next to me as I type!)  Joe just got back from his THIRD run in three days to that fried rice and noodle joint.  He said they know him now and as soon as he walks in, they say, "Fried rice?"  Yep.  Thanks.  He also makes a daily trip to the Family Mart for milk and Coke Zero (no Diet Coke here.....)  He barely made it back before the BOTTOM FELL OUT.  It's rush hour at the Railway Station across the street and people are scurrying everywhere in this thunder and lightning.  But not us.  We're all safely tucked away for the evening here in our little hotel home.  Our girl is resting peacefully, our boys are happily munching on pizza and watching Netflix, and Joe and I keep talking about what a few days it has been.

It doesn't get much better than this.