Our Last Day in China

Today we went to the US consulate to pick up Hana's passport and for the swearing in ceremony. As most of you have dealt with some sort of federal, state, or local bureaucracy at one time or another, you can pretty much get the idea of what the first 45 minutes of this process was like. The consulate is on the fifth floor of the building, so we navigated through the maze of escalators to get there. At the first checkpoint, we waited in line so they could check our passports. We then went to the next line, where we had to go through security. It was almost like airport security, but they didn't make you take off your shoes. However, they did not allow any electronics past security, so we had to "check" our camera. I was a little disappointed because I would have liked to get some photos, but I guess it's all in the name of security.

Once we cleared the checkpoint, we then went into this big room with a bunch of chairs and about 25 teller windows. Basically, just envision DMV, with the exception that the clerks at the consulate are behind glass. And like the DMV, we all just sat around and kind of waited until it was our turn. Our guide handed us a copy of her passport and our passports to verify everything looked correct. When it was our turn, we went to window 22, handed the clerk our paperwork and returned to our seats where we waited for another 15 minutes or so. Finally, the consulate official in charge of the adoptions came out and asked that everyone take a seat. She gave us a quick speech about the brown envelope and what to expect when we go through customs, as well as some things that we should do when we get back into the states. After that, she had the adoptive parents stand, raise their right hand, and take an oath that everything we provided is true to the best of our knowledge, etc... and once we were done, that completed the American, and final, part of the adoption. Of course, this is where we all got teary eyed. It was just so overwhelming. Finally, after so long, these beautiful babies are finally and completely ours, and we are finally able to bring them home. Of course, Hana is still somewhat in limbo until we land in Newark on Friday evening. We will have to go through immigration when we arrive, but the second that they stamp her passport, she will officially become a US citizen.

It's with mixed emotions that I type this since it will be my last blog from China. There are no words that can even begin to describe how wonderful this experience has been. I'm so glad we got to spend this time in China and learn about the customs and culture of her heritage. Tomorrow we begin our long trek home. I'm dreading the 26 hour trip, but I know that once we get to Newark, we are only a short flight away from a nice soft bed and lots of family and friends who are waiting for Hana to make her debut!