Lantern Festival

Lots of adorable little one's, every little girl made me think of Faith. I could not wait. Although we stayed busy I could not wait to hold her.

Lantern Festival

So many pictures!

March 10th, 2007 - Tainan Lantern Festival

This was beautiful! So many lights, lanterns, food, people. It was a huge celebration.

The festival seemed to covered three square miles and all the people had to walk five miles in to get to it, roads blocked off all around it, or you could be bused in. It was the craziest thing we had seen yet. We thought the crazy drivers were bad, WOW!

We parked on the outside of the festival (five miles) and we had paid for the driver who picked us up from our hotel to spend the evening with us, taking us around and wait for us at the festival to take us back at night. Well, I should say Margaret paid for it.

We caught a bus to take us in and it was wild! That's putting it mildly. There was no organization, people were pushing and shoving to get on a bus, practically running over each other. They were like animals.

When a bus would pull up to the side walk for a pick-up everyone would run for it and push to get in. They didn't' care about anyone but themselves. IT WAS NUTS!

I would have to say the people of Taiwan are very nice, generous and smile all the time but this night was quiet different. Thank goodness it was the only time we had to witness something like this.

Lindsay and I had never seen anything like it. We waited 10-15 buses before we could finally get on one. And this was after waiting in what seemed like a cage of wild monkeys. WOW!

March 10th, 2007 - Tainan Country Side

We hired a driver to take us to the Lantern Festival so we could all ride together in a nice big van and left her home at about 4 PM (it was an hours drive to the festival from the city). On our voyage we saw some of the country side, the green lush fields, cemeteries (very interesting, I'm sure my father would have loved that part). We drove through a beautiful park and stopped for dinner on the side of the road where a lot of the local people were eating relaxing it seemed. We tried some of their local foods for the first time. I thought it was quiet fun and I was having a great time! It was a beautiful place, clean, a nice big bridge with people walking across and enjoying the evening and sunset, green parks around us, people out and about (but not crazy busy like the city, so I liked it). It was nice!

March 10th, 2007 - Tainan, Taiwan

We arrived in Tainan and checked into our hotel there, Hotel Tainan (fitting). On our flight to Taiwan from LA I sat bye a nice lady named Margaret. She had been a local in Tainan and grew up there but moved to California with her husband and two daughters (now, 33 and 28) when she was 24 years old (she was not 54 years old). She flies home twice a year to stay with her mother (her father passed away almost two years ago) to visit family and friends. When she goes home she stays a month at a time. She was so excited for us to be coming to Taiwan for the first time and I shared our adoption journey with her on the flight as to what brought us to Taiwan. She wanted us to call her when we arrived in Tainan so she could show us around and take us to see the best that Tainan had to offer.

It was an amazing and fun two days. Her cousin and sister in-law drove us everywhere for two days (never had to hail a taxi). They had us going from one place to another, buying local food and treats here and there. They would not let us pay for anything, it was nuts! We tried to buy their dinner and a gift of thanks but they wouldn't have it. Margaret told us that when people come to visit their country this is how they treat them. We were there guests and they were to show us the town and take care of us. She said that if they were ever to come to Utah then we would do the same for them. They were happy to have us and totally refused every time we tried to pay or get them something. IT WAS WAY TO NICE OF THEM and drove me crazy the whole time to have them do this.

I called her when we checked in for the day and she said her mother, their nanny, and cousin would like to go to the Lantern Festival. They celebrate each year at this time with lanterns, food, crafts, displays, lights, music and big displays of the animal of the year. This was the year of the Pig.

She wanted to show us her home and where she grew up so she arranged to have someone pick us up at our hotel and take us to her home. On the flight over she explained that her dad was a wealthy man. He was a doctor and they owned a clinic where he worked, next to the clinic was a big movie theater, which they owned and ran and then her home was just above them. It was a five story home both their businesses blow. She loved growing up there and told me all kinds of stories. We arrived at her home, she met us and showed us in and introduced us to the maid, those who worked in the office of the theater, her brother and sister in-law and nephew, mother and their nanny. Sense her father passed they have had nannies who help and assist their mother. It seems most families live in the same dwelling and there for her parents, her brothers and sisters, their kids and so forth all lived in the same home. It was five levels though and she took us to each one (bye elevator) and on each level once family would live so it was some what separate but she and her mother were on the top two levels. Very open spaces and lots of windows. It was so neat. She said at one time they were a very wealthy family and always had many people over for entertaining. Her parents were very social and they had everything they wanted in life. Shortly before her father passed the economy changed in Taiwan and the cost of property dropped and everything become very inexpensive and it seemed to cause a slight decrease in the way they lived (she can explain it better then I) but now they seem to be more middle class. Having a nanny and maid would be nice though if you call that middle class.

Posted are a few pictures taken at Margarets home and the view or things around her home. She lived only a few blocks from our hotel.

March 9th, 2007 - We Have Arrived!!!!!

We made it, what a loooooooooooooong two days! Wow!

We were to fly out of the SLC airport at 10 AM and arrive in LA to then flight to Taiwan, our flight kept getting delayed though. First it delayed to 11 AM, then Noon and of course we started to worry. We showed them our tickets to leave from LA at 1:50 PM to Taiwan. They quickly switched us to another Delta flight leaving out of SLC airport @ 12:05 PM so we would make it. They were worried our original flight we booked for might delay again and didn't want to risk it. The other Delta flight was scheduled to leave on time. Let's just say we had PLENTY of time to catch our flight that morning. Instead of a three hour layover in LA as planned we flew @ Noon and arrived there @ 12:30 PM and went straight to our next flight leaving at 1:50 PM. No layover, we just spent our time at the SLC airport all morning.

Our flight to Taiwan was 14 hours. It was crazy! The first 6 hours were bearable and then Lindsay and I were starting to get VERY uncomfortable. I could not sleep, I could not get comfortable, the flight was packed, there was no leg room, people all around us, this airplane was not one of the nicer big ones we have seen before. It was HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Linday seemed to be doing really well and trying to make me comfortable and help me sleep. Little did I know, once we arrived he said he got to a point in the flight where he said he wanted to get up and scream, hehe! He sure covered it well. He said he was going to lose it.

We arrived in Taipei, Taiwan @ 8:30 PM on Friday night. We went to baggage clam and there was a sign stating our luggage did not arrive on our flight (agh!). Because we switched Delta flights in SLC our luggage was due to arrive in when our original flight arrived later that night. They told us to go to our hotel and they would have it delivered by 11 AM the next morning. I wanted to cry, I told them we were catching another flight the next morning to Tainan and had to leave our hotel at 11 AM. They tried to help and put a rush on it so it would then arrive bye 9 AM. So not only did we spend almost two days in the same clothes but we had to go sleep in them and wait for our luggage to arrive to get cleaned up and then head to the domestic airport in Taipei the next morning @ 11 AM to fly to Tainan. Tianan is where Faith was born and where her birth mother lives. Faith is at St. Lucy's orfinage, which is also in Tainan. We wanted to spend a few days there before picking her up to see and learn about the area so we could some day share our experience with her.

We checked into our hotel for the night 10 PM, Feeling Hotel, got settled and prayed our luggage would arrive on time the next morning. As you can imagine,I was so worried. We went to sleep hoping we could rest and wake in the AM and be on there time (they are about 15 hours ahead of our time in Utah). We had an exciting day ahead and wanted some rest after that the crazy few days we had.

We woke at 8 AM, I called the airport to make sure our luggage had arrived and they said the driver had left already and had all four pieces with him (we don't pack light, better to have to much then not enough).

It had all arrived safely to our hotel at 9 AM and I was SO HAPPY!!!!!! We got cleaned up and packed one bag for the two nights in Tainan, baby items, and gifts. Our taxi driver picked us up at our hotel to go to the domestic airport for our flight to Tainan (30 minute flight, up and then back down again). We kept our hotel room booked at the Feeling hotel for all 7 night of our trip so we could pack light and not have to worry about all our luggage when we picked up baby girl.

Posted are a few pictures of our first day in Taiwan at our hotel. It is down a small side street, which you see a picture of and then Lindsay and I took a few pictures at the etrance and the view from our room. Taiwan is green and tropical, yet a city like New York. Taxi's and scooters everywhere, people weaving in and out, there are no street laws it seems and there are no car seats for babies, you just hold them on your lap. This freaked me out a bit thinking of Faith not being safe in her car seat but we quickly got use to it and it was so nice.

Off we go again!

March 8th, 2007 - On Our Way To Taiwan

Our journey to pick up our baby girl begins! I was up all night packing and getting everything ready. I kept saying for about a week that I was going to start packing and something would come up so on Tuesday night, March 6th I finally got Faith's items all packed then on Wednesday night, March 7th I stayed up and we packed all of our stuff and the gifts for the caregivers, birth mother, Sally (our translator), Laura (our counselor) and dear friends that helped in the process. We received all our last information and final notes from our counselor Laura @ 9:30 PM on Wednesday night as well. I learned they like to do things last minute and it can cause a little stress and anxiety on the expecting mother, but they know what they are doing and everything went well in the end.
We got packed, watched a movie (as if we could sleep) and then went to bed as to wake up and head out at 7:30 AM.
We drove to Woods Cross, UT (the in laws) and they drove us to the Salt Lake International Airport. Our flight was scheduled to leave @ 10 AM and we had to check bags, go through security and all that jazz and we planned for way to much time in-case. We were not missing this flight, the most important flight of our lives.

OUR LAST UPDATE - Six Months Old

This is the very last update we will receive of Faith until we hold her in our arms. Isn't she the sweetest/cutest thing in the world! She only weighs 14.1 pounds in this picture so we think she will be almost 15 pounds when we bring her home, if we are lucky. She seems to only be putting on a half a pound each month if that. Such a little thing. She is so precious! It won't be long now until we hold her in our arms. I will hug her, love her, and NEVER/EVER let her go!


Everything seems so unreal at this moment. I try and tell Lindsay that we need to really enjoy this last week we have together alone but even knowing this it just seems as if life is just going to begin for real once we pick her up. We have three more days to finish up our packing (which we just begun tonight). I have washed all of Faith's close and have started getting all of her things together. Once her stuff is all done we hope to pack our items on Tuesday and Wednesday night and then WE ARE OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The day is drawing near and it is the most amazing adventure we have and will ever be on. I wouldn't want to be sharing this moment in my life with anyone other then my very best friend and husband Lindsay. I love him with all of my heart and I can not wait to start our family together.

YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!

One Thing Missing!

Everything is stocked and in it's place but there is still one thing missing............... Things will never feel complete until Faith is here to feel this room with her laughter, sweet little spirit, and the joy she is going to bring to not only this room but her parents lives.

Dragon Fly's

We thought that little dragonfly's would look adorable flying around her room. I am not an artist at all but it was a lot of fun doing this for her and it turned out some what decent.

Faith's Nursery

I have finally decided to post some pictures of our little girls nursery. It's getting there. We only have two more items to add (a few last touches) and it will be done. We are leaving this week and the black crib skirt and the black Chinese character writing that we are having put on her wall (that will go along the top of the bead board around the room and up around the window, as an outline) will not arrive or be done until the week or two after we get back so when I get those items done I will take just a few more pictures to show you all the final results.

It already looks so darn cute but it will be adorable when the picture in my mind is complete. We have chosen to do sage green, cream, white, black and silver with a touch of red to make it more Asian. We made the bedding out of some Asian materials we found and we bought some Chinese character/symbol knobs for her dresser and the little nursery rhyme that will be printed in Chinese characters to go on her wall will also add her culture to her room. We hope she likes it.

ONE WEEK!

Exactly one week from today at this time we will be sitting at the LA airport waiting to catch our flight to Taiwan. I AM SO EXCITED!

I worry about Faith all the time and what it will be like for two strangers (one with bright red hair) to come along and take her away from all that she knows. She is still very young/little and she won't remember all of this when she gets bigger but she will know that something is going on. I hope her little heart and mind will tell her it's OK and she will feel the love we have for her and know deep down inside that this is right and she is going home. We hope that she will be a happy little one and things will go well. I know that our Heavenly Father will help her and be with us on that marvelous day.

So close, yet not close enough.

Meet The Newest Member Of The Family

Meet Faith's closest cousin in age, Ethney Diane Mangum. Daughter of Bryan and Vicki Mangum. She was born on December 27th (four months apart) and is just the cutest/sweetest little thing. She has a wonderful big brother Ryker who just adores her and is already way over protective of his little sister. We are so happy for the Mangum's and wanted to share some pictures with everyone.

Faith will have so many friends and family to play with, her soon to be little buddy Ryker has already been making plans to go visit our horse, Bullet, on the farm when we return from Taiwan and Faith's dad can't wait to see her in her little cowgirl boots.

Everyones invited!

March Weather In Taipei, TW

For those who are interested I added a fun link to the side on our blog page where you can check the weather in Taipei this time of year and will be able to see what it is to be like while we are over there. You can see what the temp's are like on average over the year as well. Kind of fun!