Home Sweet Home

Goldie, Gina and I were showered with love upon our return.

Oh - where to begin? Memories for a lifetime.

She is now in our arms forever....

From her Grandma Gitelson....

The first time ever I saw your face…

The first time ever I saw your face

I knew you were sent from a far off place.

To take me home and keep me safe

To shower me with love and grace.

I understand all the wonderful prayers that were made for me

And they really worked …

because I got the best Mommy and Daddy that could ever be!

God has given me a life and a family too

And I feel so special to be chosen by you.

God heard these prayers.

He had a plan.

The first time ever you saw my face

Dad’s eyes welled-up with tears of joy…

and mommy’s smile was so big it crossed the sky.

It really did just cross the sky!!!

God had a plan

I knew before

‘Cause prayers were sent.

Prayers of love and faith and trust

Rose from the heart and were answered from above.

God had a plan.

I woke, first morning, filled with joy

You came to get me…accepted me...care for me

…And I was free!

God had a plan which was meant to be…

I am special…chosen among all the children of the world

to be your one and only little girl.

We just got back from our two and a half week - 20,000 mile journey. I will be uploading new material from the trip for months to come. Her grandparents Sey and Sherry have been smothering her with love. Grandma Christine, Auntie Tina and Susan, and Uncle David will be visiting next week. Gina and I got sick, and I got injured down the stretch .... but the good news is, Goldie is healthy and happy and finally home. .... and the puppies could not be happier.

The People's Park Nanchang

Inside the Tengway Pavillion

The Pearl River near the White Swan Hotel - Guanghzou

The first bottle

GOTCHA!

The day before 'Gotcha Day'.

Shortly after the above pictures were taken ... we got our travel clearance.

We are sitting in our Hong Kong hotel room knowing we are less than 18 hours away from our lives changing forever.

We were fortunate to avoid any ill effects from the typhoon in Japan where we stayed two nights, and are settled in our hotel room in Hong Kong.

Gina and I will get little sleep.

Where she comes from....

Mountains surround Jiangxi on three sides, with the Mufu Mountains, Jiuling Mountains, and Luoxiao Mountains on the west; Huaiyu Mountains and Wuyi Mountains on the east; and the Jiulian Mountains and Dayu Mountains in the south. The southern half of the province is hilly with ranges and valleys interspersed; while the northern half is flatter and lower in altitude. The highest point in Jiangxi is Mount Huanggang in the Wuyi Mountains, on the border with Fujian. It has an altitude of 2157 m.

The Gan River dominates the province, flowing through the entire length of the province from south to north. It enters Lake Poyang in the north, the largest freshwater lake of China; that lake in turn empties into the Yangtze River, which forms part of the northern border of Jiangxi.

Important reservoirs include the Xiushui Tuolin Reservoir in the northwest of the province on the Xiushui River, and the Wan'an Reservoir in the upper section of the Gan.

Jiangxi's climate is subtropical. Average temperatures are about 3 to 9°C in January and 27 to 31°C in July. Annual precipitation is 1200 to 1900 mm.

Jiangxi is the main area of concentration of the Gan varieties of Chinese, spoken over most of the northern two-thirds of the province. Examples include the Nanchang dialect, Yichun dialect and Ji'an dialect. The southern one-third of the province speaks Hakka. There are also Mandarin, Hui, and Wu

dialects spoken along the northern border.

Ganju (Jiangxi opera) is the type of Chinese opera performed in Jiangxi.

Although little known outside of the province, Jiangxi cuisine is rich and distinctive. Flavors are some of the strongest in China, with heavy use of chile peppers and especially pickled and fermented products.

Jingdezhen is widely regarded as the producer of the best porcelain in China.

Jiangxi also was a historical center of Chan Buddhism.

Prominent examples of Hakka architecture can be found in Jiangxi.

Near the northern port city of Jiujiang is the well-known (and expensive) resort area of Mount Lushan . Also near the city are Donglin (East Wood) Temple and Tiefo (Iron Buddha) Temple, two important Buddhist temples.

Near the small city of Yingtan is the resort area Longhushan which purports to be the birthplace of Taoism and hence has great symbolic value to Taoists. The region has many interesting temples, cave complexes, mountains and villages. It is considered by many to be the best-kept secret of Jiangxi tourism.

The Lushan National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

Jiangxi is also the filming location for the fifteenth series of the American t.v. show Survivor.

The mountainous terrain and large forest coverage of Jiangxi has made it historically one of the more wild places of central China. South China Tigers have been seen as recently as fifteen or twenty years ago and projects are underway to document evidence of existing tigers, if there are any. Several mountain areas along the northern border with Hunan and Hubei are potential sites for "wilderness" preserves specifically for protecting or even reintroducing tigers.

Other wildlife, though not plentiful, are more numerous in Jiangxi than in many other developed areas of China. Numerous species of birds are common, especially around the marshes of Lake Poyang in the north. Though protected, mammals such as muntjak, wild boar, civet cats, and pangolins, are still common enough that they'll even occasionally be seen in markets for sale as game meat, or possibly even in a forest.

At the time of this posting, Goldie is waiting for us at Guixi Social Welfare Instiute. Guixi City is about 150 km from Nanchang and has a population of about 100,000. It is famous Taoism, apparently Taoism was actually founded in Guixi.

Its not an orphanage but a social welfare institution with people of all ages residing there. Its also very, very rural. Most of the babies that go for adoption are put into foster care. Foster care in a rural city like Guixi is a a way for poor rural families to supplement their income; so there is no shortage of foster care.

Before we got there ......

Below is a rare photo - a view of the country side from behind the institution.

Goldie's Orphanage

Above is the gate where she was left as a newborn.


her crib.

Goldie with the Director of Nannies and her roommate Meagan.

Yan Jing ... Glittering...Brilliant....Like Gold.....

Our long wait is over .... but our journey has just begun.