What the trip will look!

We thought we would give everyone a sketch of what the upcoming trip is going to look like. We wrote this to our family from Shen's perspective. Enjoy!!!


To my new Family!

I hear that a lot of you have been asking questions about me so, my new mommy and daddy (you know them as Jodie and Jack) wanted me to introduce myself to you. My Chinese name is Shen Guo Zhan and I am going to keep my name Shen. I am over 3-1/2 years old, with my birthday being October 25, 2004. I was abandoned at birth and was found on a bridge in Shenzhen City, China, where they say I was alone for two days. I have been well cared for at the Shenzhen City Welfare Institute for my whole life and the nannies have been wonderful to me. We get along great and they even wrote in my medical records that they think I am a little leader. I will hold the hands of the younger kids when we go outside and I always try to help clean up after playtime and meals.

I was born with a couple of little issues. I had a cleft lip and a cleft palate but, after two successful surgeries, the majority of the problems seem to have been corrected. I still struggle a little with speech but mommy and daddy have promised to help me with speech therapy.

I am so looking forward to being with my “Forever Family” in Algonquin, Illinois, and I CANNOT WAIT to meet my new brother Connor! Daddy is flying over to Guangzhou, China on September 5, arriving on Saturday, the 6th. He and I will be introduced on Monday, September 8 (they call that day “Gotcha Day”), and then I am his forever. While we are in China, getting to know each other, we plan to swim a lot together, go to the zoo, play matchbox cars, and just get connected. Daddy will get my Chinese papers near the end of the first week (around September 11 or 12). The next week, daddy meets with the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou on Tuesday, September 16. Then, get this, he and I go back to the U.S. Consulate on the next day (9/17) for a “swearing in” ceremony! And, then, the real fun! Daddy and I will get on a couple of big planes together and fly for over 24 hours to arrive home over the weekend. Daddy told me that he is really excited about that airplane ride with me J. Daddy also plans to “blog” (whatever that is) our entire trip so he will send you the blog address later. I hope you will follow our journey together!!!

I hear that the winters get a little rough in Chicago and I am used to a great all-year climate here in southeastern China. Maybe I’ll have to have mommy and daddy take me to Orlando (where daddy’s office is), or to Tampa where my Aunt Ruthann has a winter home (YES!), sometime because I hear that the weather is better there, especially during January J.

I am not sure when I will get to meet all of you in person but I did want to say hello to you. Please bear with mommy and daddy. I am going to be a handful for a little while because all I have ever known is my orphanage and the nannies there. I have never been in a real family before. So, there are going to be some adjustments and some attachment “stuff” that I have to get through, but I know that my mommy and daddy will always be there for me.

I have enclosed a picture of myself below. I just wanted to say HELLO to all of you or, as we say in China, “Ni Hao.”

Love,

Shen