Bittersweet goodbye...

It is with mixed emotion that I write our final post from The Drucker Family Journey to China. This afternoon everything became official as we raised our right hands and took an oath at the US Embassy and received Audrey's Visa and IR-3 documentation to enter the US and acquire US citizenship upon entry. Almost 2 years of prepping and paperchasing and we're finally sliding into homebase. Of course there are some matters to finalize once we are home, but it pales in comparison to the mountains of paperwork that is now behind us. In retrospect, all of the waiting simply slips away once your baby is placed in your arms. It is a feeling like no other, and we are so fortunate to have now experienced this twice.

Everything we have done today on the island has been with the comment "this is the last time we'll....". It is quite difficult to find words that match my emotion. This afternoon it was a huge sigh of relief and a collective exhale from all of us that the proper documentation was in our hands and it's in writing that Audrey ZiXia Drucker is coming home. With that, I struggle with leaving the birth country of our daughters and of the gentle and beautiful people and culture which we have been so much a part of for the past 14 days. This has been a particularily special trip for me, having my husband, daughter and mother all with me to welcome Audrey and visit her homeland. For so long we talked and planned "when we go to China", and now it's over and my heart aches to leave as much as it yearns to be home.

Today's pictures include some of our favorite places on the island. I was feeling a bit nostalgic today and walked around taking photos and video of the streets in Guangzhou.





Sure, we are happy that we will be home for Christmas, but in all honesty, it makes little difference to me. For two weeks we have not had a TV on, nor has the phone rung- it has been all about family and I have loved every minute of it. Once we touch back on US soil, the hustle and bustle of the holidays may be overwhelming since we have been separated from it. Madeleine will be happy about Santa Claus, but she has rarely mentioned it- instead, everyday she wakes up and asks about her Petunia, and she runs to see her favorite pal Markus, whom she is clearly smitten with. Markus is 14 and has taken Madeleine on as his little sister the entire trip. I'm more concerned about how she'll deal with saying goodbye to him in the morning (they live in IA) than about the long flight home.

For all of you who have followed along with us, we thank you for your support and encouragement. This blog was a great way for us to feel connected to home, but also for us to share our family story and hopefully give some of you a glimpse into the wonderful world of adoption. Who knows where the next Drucker Family Journey will lead us, but I do know this...I will sign off "to be continued"....