JENNA'S PAGE

Jenna goes to Hawaii

2008-03-31T22:25:00.001-07:00

We had the opportunity to spend a week in Hawaii in February 2008 with the Corley's. Jenna and Julie are enjoying a park like area at Hilton property. That is lava rock in the background and the Pacific Ocean on the other side of the rock.

Christmas in WA NJ NY

2007-12-25T22:05:00.000-08:00

We really got the chance to enjoy Christmas this past year. Jenna enjoyed seeing all of our family in WA, NJ and NY.

I'm getting the hang of opening up presents.

We had GREAT Christmas Meals !!!!

Jenna loves playing with Zada. They had lots of fun together.

Jenna showing off her latest gift.

Jenna and Grandma Nancy

Jenna goes to Florida

2007-11-10T22:24:00.000-08:00

We got the opportunity to spend some time with Jeff and Jan Crandall in November of 2007 in their place in Florida. This was a nice trip and great break from work. I thing is for certain...Jenna has gotten to see a lot of the world before reaching 2 years of age.

Jenna found this laundry basket and thought that it would be cool to hang out in it for a few minutes. I happened to be able to catch a picture of it. We believe that there is one of Julie just like this (when she was Jenna's age of course). Here is Jenna with Julie and Jan enjoying some quiet time after breakfast.

This was the Sand Pearl Resort in Clearwater, FL. Jenna's Mon Chi Chi monkey was nicely placed by the House Keeping Staff. This was a very nice Resort on some beautiful beaches. Mon Chi Chi

Jenna visits the Portland Rose Garden and Japanese Gardens

2007-10-09T22:42:00.000-07:00

The Portland Rose Garden is one of the most beautiful places you'll see...There is virtually every kind of Rose plant known to man to see and smell. Jenna loved seeing all the roses.

Jenna gets to see some fish in the ponds.

Meeting Family for the 1st time

2007-08-21T21:23:00.000-07:00

After a couple of weeks at Home in Vancouver, WA we all leave for NJ to stay with Jim & Phyllis in their new place. It worked out very well as Jenna got to meet Rick & Val my Aunt & Uncle. Jenna took to Val very quickly.

Next Stop - King Ferry, NY

The Crandall Family Reunion is in King Ferry and this was a Great Opportunity for Jenna to meet her cousins, aunts, uncles and Grand Parents. It was a very busy time, but she did very well.

Jenna also got the chance to meet the Miller's our very good friends from Windsor, NY. This photo is of Jenna with Eric, Andrea & Nicholas (left to right).

Settling In

2007-08-19T07:58:00.000-07:00

It is August 19th and Jenna has been home for a full month without any major travel events. Yea ! It has been a busy time and one of exciting new events. Jenna has taken her 1st steps on her own and is walking short distances with assistance.

She yells 'Beau' when he is outside chasing squirrels.

Also she really likes books...She already has her favorites that she likes read to her over and over again. Good thing Julie is a good narrator.

Jenna loves music with a good beat...she really loves to dance. A good musical tune will come on the radio or tv and she will start rocking to the beat. Too cute !

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENNA !!

2007-06-16T20:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Jenna -You are the Big '1' today.

Today was actually mostly a quiet day - unpacking, organizing, cleaning, grocery shopping and other fun post travel stuff.

This evening we had a Birthday party for Jenna attended by Kinley, Rylee, Jackson, Scott & Kara. Birthday cake was an angel food cake with whipcream frosting and red raspberry topping.

Jenna can't believe that she got Angel Food Cake for her Birthday...

We opened presents and it was time bedtime for Jenna.

Day One - Jenna is Home

2007-06-15T00:54:00.000-07:00

It is Thursday and we have made it successfully through Day 1. We got some necessary sleep and actually went for some supplies. Jenna did better in the car seat today...actually fell asleep in it. We'll pray that she continues to be more comfortable with the car seat.

Our Dog, Beau seemed happy to have a new family member. I kind of wonder what he is actually thinking at this point...he has had 12 years of quiet quarters...that has changed a bit overnight. One thing is for certain - if food falls to the floor he'll be happy to cleanup.

We all went for a walk this afternoon - the weather was beautiful.

Beau ran point to make sure there were no squirrels to block our path.

We are sure glad that the park is complete and has nice trails and fields to walk in.

Jenna's on her way to America

2007-06-14T23:25:00.000-07:00

Today is Wednesday. We are packed, Jenna has been fed and we have checked out of the hotel.

We take a van to the Hanoi Airport and Thuy goes along with us. She has been great with handling the details of the adoption and planning events during our time in Vietnam. The Children's Hope International staff in Vietnam is great and adopting Jenna would not be possible without their dedication to the entire process. They will be missed by all of us in the group !

The 1st Flight was from Hanoi, Vietnam to Hong Kong. Jenna did well on this 2-hour flight. The photo below is from the Jet as we are approaching the Hong Kong airport.

We transferred from the Vietnam Airlines terminal to the Cathay Pacific terminal and had about 30 minutes to spare (perfect). Our gate was about 100 feet from Starbucks (I got a picture this time, but no coffee - long flight ahead)...

Below is the Cathay Pacific Boeing 747 that takes Jenna to America (LAX to be specific). What a beautiful airplane...

2nd Flight was the Hong Kong to Los Angeles segment. Very long flight @ 12.5 hours of which Jenna slept the majority of it. Julie & I were not quite as successful on sleep, but we did manage to get a few hours. We were able to change seats with a family from Vietnam so that Julie and I could sit together and we got the bulkhead seats. We did have some baggage issues at LAX, but everything eventually made it. We also got hit with the dreaded SSSS (Extra Security Screen)...Not Cool after flying for many hours with a baby...

3rd Flight was from LAX to Portland. Again Jenna did well during take-off and slept most of the flight. We learned from the first flight (Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi) that we must figure out how to get her to drink during take-off and landing.

Awesome Surprise when we arrive in Portland !

We are welcomed by best friends in the World ! Thank you !

It was awesome to see all of you !

Jenna did really well meeting everyone and is the little charmer.

Car Seats Required in America

Jenna is not a fan of car seats...She can fly halfway around the world without a problem, but the 10-minute drive from the airport to our house (in a car seat) was a scream...I'm not kidding ! Once out of the car seat and into Julie's arms she quickly (15-seconds) returned to the normal loving Jenna.

Hanoi - US Embassy Visit

2007-06-11T17:10:00.000-07:00

Monday started out with a big Thunder and Lightning Show. It was welcomed as it helped to cool down the temps...the humidity stayed, but it dropped the temps from 90's to probably the high 70's (comfortable).

Below is a photo of the Guoman Hotel where we are staying. It is a very nice hotel. The view out of window is also posted (you can see it was raining).

We had a wonderful breakfast buffet at the Gouman Hotel. Jenna was being picky about what she wanted. After breakfast we walked to the Cathay Pacific Airways office in Hanoi Tower to make some changes in our flights. Hanoi Tower is a very tall and modern building about a 5-minute walk from the hotel. It has a shopping center in the lower levels and offices in the higher floors.

After breakfast we visited the Cathay Pacific Airlines office and they adjusted our flights to the 13th so we'll be home Wednesday night. We did a little shopping in the Hanoi Tower and found some baby food that Jenna loves...Apparently it is not available in the States...Rats!

Maybe the same company that made her shirts earlier (Hipp Hop).

The next trip was to the US Embassy in Hanoi. We had our interview to get the final process of Jenna's Visa completed, I signed the last required document and we have completed the required paperwork...there has been a lot of papers signed, notarized, shipped and reshipped, certified, authenticated and fill in the blank in this process...I felt some type of completion when I signed the last form to bring Jenna home. I realize that this is only the beginning, but it feels as though we have completed a lot to reach this moment. The final process should be complete today (Tuesday) and we depart Wednesday morning.

For all of you concerned about the search for good coffee...Turns out there are no Starbucks in Vietnam (by the way - no McDonalds either). No worries though - There are plenty of places to get excellent coffee. One of these places is Highlands Coffee http://www.highlandscoffee.com.vn/ They have stores that will give Starbucks a run for their money. (Introduced by French Jesuits in the 1870s, Vietnam has risen to be the second largest coffee exporting country after Brazil.
Producing between 800,000 and 1m tons per year, Vietnam only consumes about 10% of its production. The remainder is purchased by some of the world’s best known instant coffee brands.) Who would have known...

KFC - Kentucky Fried Chicken is King here for Fast Food. They use the actual Colonel...cool.

Other interesting things seen:

FREE WI-FI all over the place...almost all new restaurants (and even some older) in both Saigon and Hanoi. The contrast of Hi-Tech and Low-Tech is everywhere. Power lines are primarily above ground and they are plentiful - I'm glad I'm not an electrician in Vietnam - They have an interesting and complex job.

We had dinner at a very nice authentic Vietnamese Restaurant with the Group...

Group photo of the Mom's and the children...this was interesting to get.

Julie and Jenna....

We have arrived in Hanoi

2007-06-10T21:42:00.000-07:00

Sunday we all arrived in Hanoi. We all have been curious about Hanoi as we have heard a lot about the city. Well so far here is what we have seen. After leaving the Hanoi Airport (which is pretty nice and modern) we traveled through an area that was either being developed or in farming (primarily rice). The style of the roads and bridges reminds you immediately of Europe - They were in good shape and well maintained. There are a lot of construction projects in process currently. The architecture of the homes in this region is different than in Ho Chi Minh City. We have attached some low resolution photos taken with the camcorder.

I'm not exactly sure how to explain the difference, but there seems to be much less French influence here...The styling here is very ornate in many cases and really impressive. There is noticeably less English Translation here in Hanoi, but there are still many places with English.

All of the people that we have met so far have been very friendly and the city is alive and vibrant with activities going on and plenty of traffic. There are many less scooters in Hanoi, but still plenty. One shocking fact that I ran across is that Ho Chi Minh City has 7 million people and over 4 million scooter/motorcycles. I'll bet that there are more than 4 million...The motorcycle is used to move people, food, appliances (including a refrigerator), bags of rice, furniture, pallets of bricks & anything else you can imagine and some you can't. There seems to be a competition on who can carry the most. This is holding true of Hanoi as well.

Vung Tao - A Day at the Beach

2007-06-10T04:42:00.000-07:00

Saturday was spent at the beach in Vung Tao. A 2-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The beaches in Vietnam are very nice and are not overly developed, but you can see that development is currently in progress. The construction that is progress consists of very nice hotels and condos from what we could tell. The beaches themselves were not crowded even while we were there and it was a Saturday and hot. The ocean water was warm - much warmer than I've seen in the Atlantic or the Caribbean (I'm guessing in the 80+ degrees) and the sand was very hot.

Jenna was okay with the ocean, but preferred the pool. There was a very nice pool right before you go on the beach. You had to pay to use the pool...the adopting families were about the only people using the pool.

Jenna did not want to keep her hat on...It was back in the water pretty quick. Julie and I wished we had purchased a hat on the other hand. We had plenty of chances...

The remainder of the time we spent under a tent system that was setup on the beach - this is almost required as you literally can not walk on the sand due to it being so hot. I tried to walk/run barefoot in it and found that I would run from one shaded spot to the next. The beaches are deep from the beginning of the sand to the water and are in very nice condition. Apparently there had been a typhoon that went through the area about a year ago and you could see some damage (trees down), but no beach erosion was noticeable. It reminded me of the beaches in the pacific, but with water you can swim in.

We saw some interesting sites on the way back to the hotel.

Roadtrip - Visited Family in Sa Dec

2007-06-08T07:25:00.000-07:00

Today we left Saigon early and headed for Sa Dec. This is where Julie's Mom grew up. It is about a 4-hour drive from Saigon. This was a long trip for all of us, but Jenna did remarkably well. We won't get too many opportunities to meet family members that live half way around the world...this was a great trip. Many of them remembered Julie only as a 1-year old the same as Jenna now. The family was very gracious and hospitable. They made a nice lunch for Julie and me and some special Fish soup for Jenna...she loved it - this was good as she was being fussy about the rice soup at the hotel.

If I have not mentioned that Vietnam is hot and humid - it is ! Ever wonder what grows good in these conditions ? Rice, Bananas, Coconuts, Grapefruit, Oranges, Sesame Seeds and pretty much whatever you want to grow. Fertile soil, large amounts of rainfall and tropical temps really make for some really good growing conditions. There are a lot of rivers throughout the Mekong Delta Region that allow for transportation of these crops. If you haven't figured it out - I'm pretty interested in the farming methods and marketing system that are used here. However this is Jenna's Page.

This photo was taken just outside Sa Dec and shows some brick ovens. This shows only a small # of the total. I'll bet that is a really hot job.

The map below if you click on it will show you the primary cities that we have or will be traveling to during our time in Vietnam. You can see that Sa Dec is Southwest of Saigon.

You won't believe this - Jenna let me hold her and Julie was able to capture a smile with the camera. She let me carry her all the way from breakfast back to the room - that is quite a distance. Jenna is definitely bonded to Julie (which is very good), but she is beginning to accept me as well. The trip to Sa Dec helped - There were a lot of Aunts that wanted to hold her so if she wanted that Fish Soup then she had better let the Aunts hold her...I can tell you - She wanted the soup !

Next stop - A day at the beach in Vung Tau on Saturday...

Saigon Zoo

2007-06-07T15:42:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning started off with the usual breakfast buffet - It is a good selection of food. After getting filled up on breakfast it is off to CIS (US Immigration Service) in Saigon. Jenna did great waiting for our turn to interview.

After a short nap we went to the Saigon Zoo. It is fairly good sized zoo right in the city and we saw elephants, giraffe, wild horses, crocs, monkeys, porcupines, black squirrel (biggest one I've ever seen) and hippos. Jenna was not overly interested - It was slightly warm at about 98 degrees and 125% humidity. Well maybe the humidity was a little higher than that...

That is Gracie with Mechelle, Julie and Jenna outside the giraffe pen.

Friday will have us heading to Sadec where Julie's mom lived many years ago. It is long trip, but it will be a wonderful opportunity to meet Julie's family that she will not have many chances to meet. They last saw Julie when she was Jenna's age.

Site Seeing in Saigon

2007-06-06T06:12:00.000-07:00

Today we had the opportunity to get in some local site seeing in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).

We started out at a Chinese Pagoda which was very ornate and was very different from any that I've seen in the States. I was able to take a few photos - they don't really show the detail that was there in person or the incense that was burning.

Next we visited the Vietnamese Museum of History. I'd been reading about some of the historic battles prior to the trip and they did a nice job of displaying the different dynasties in place over the past few 1000 years.

When we returned to the Rex (hotel) Jenna was ready for a nap. We put her down and Julie's Mom watched her so that Julie and I could grab a quick lunch across the street at Monaco's Pizza...Yep - Not just any Pizza - Pizza Margherita - Julie's fav...Little Italy's in Vancouver has nothing to worry about at this point, but it was still good.

I picked up Jenna's Passport this afternoon. We still have one more interview on Thursday in HCMC. It should be pretty straightforward. Children's Hope Intl (CHI) has really made this a smooth process. We can't even fathom how you would even begin the process here, let alone figure out how to get around. They are Great!

Jenna was feeling a little grumpy this afternoon, but was a lot better in the evening. She was playing on the bed with her toys by herself - THIS IS A FIRST - Prior to this she was like a dryer sheet clinging to Julie or she was crying.

Good News - I think that Jenna is seeing that we are sticking around and she started to warm to Daddy a tiny bit more today. She only cries sometimes when I'm around. As long as I'm on her terms, she is okay with me being around now. She still doesn't want me to hold or carry her. It is a good thing that Julie has the Ergo Baby Carrier - She has had no neck or back issues and she has had to do the majority of hauling Jenna to this point. (Does this sound like an advertisement for this baby carrier?)

Jenna was smiling quite a bit today ! She definitely has a personality. She outlasted Julie today.

As for me - I'm making formula, running errands, handling paperwork, taking photos and video and writing some of the Blog. Occassionally I even get to entertain Jenna - I'm getting better (slowly) at that one.

She's a screamer, but we love her anyway

2007-06-05T05:52:00.001-07:00

Today is Tuesday, Jenna slept the whole night and so did I. She hates getting her diaper changed or changing her clothes, and she lets you know it (and the neighbors as well). She's got some lungs on her. Today we rushed through breakfast and then went to the market and did the tourist thing. It's been so nice having my mom here - especially when bargaining for the best price. I'm sure she was able to get a much better price on things than I could have. On the walk back to the hotel we went into a shoe store and I bought some of the cutest shoes ever for Jenna. The price was equivalent to $4 US dollars for each pair. I'd definitely like to go back and get some for myself as well.

We had lunch at a restaurant in the Rex Hotel where we're staying. It was nice and Jenna did pretty good. She'll be ready for our traditional Sunday lunches at Chevy's with the Corley family.

This afternoon we took Jenna for a medical exam. This exam is done by a Vietnamese doctor at a Vietnamese hospital for the American government. Little did I know the waiting room was outside. Have I failed to mention how hot (and humid) it is here. Like your traditional doctor's appointment the wait was long, but unlike your traditional doctor's appointment, we were sweating - and I mean really sweating. Jenna passed with flying colors, but her screams were heard by all when we had to undress her for the exam. Luckily they were pretty quick about it and she calmed down quickly once she was dressed and in my arms.

Jenna has really bonded to me - which is a good thing. But, it can be difficult when she won't go to someone else. She hasn't yet gotten to the point where we can set her down and have her play by herself. She wants me holding her all the time. Tonight it was really difficult putting her down. She was so tired, but she didn't want to go to sleep. I'm so glad she finally fell asleep and I could put her in her crib. Unfortunately, Stacey and my mom both fell asleep too! I guess I get to work on this blog instead. btw - Stacey is the picture guy, so no pics until he gets around to it.

I do need to mention what a fantastic job Stacey is doing. He changed his first diaper today.

Also, the dates on this blog are so messed up! The dates and times are Pacific Time Zone, not Vietnam's (I think we're 11 hours ahead here).

Friends and food

2007-06-05T05:17:00.000-07:00

It's funny how in this technological age, that you can actually become friends with someone who you've only communicated with by email. I became friends with 2 such women who were also going through this crazy adoption process. We had been communicating for months by email. But, on Monday afternoon the 3 of us, with babies, were all able to get together in my hotel room and spend the afternoon chatting and laughing and sharing. I think everything happens for a reason, and God, in His perfect timing, brought all 3 of us all together in Vietnam. It was a special time for us all to remember. And rats - I didn't take a picture!

Jenna took a 3 hour nap - wow, I thought she'd never wake up. I think she's been a lot busier than she was at the orphanage. It's hard to believe we got her only 24 hours earlier.

Later that evening all 6 families went out to dinner at a restaurant on the river. It was really beautiful - and really hot! Jenna was hot and tired, and so was I because I held her most of the time. Luckily she let my mom take her for a walk, so that was a nice break for me. That night Jenna got her first bath/shower from us - she hated it. Hopefully that will improve in the future.

Giving & Receiving Ceremony

2007-06-03T22:36:00.001-07:00

Monday morning we all went to the Giving & Receiving Ceremony. It was in Ho Chi Minh City about 15-minutes from the hotel. The local government officials were very friendly and helpful and it was a very pleasant experience for all of us. After signing a lot of papers we had this photo taken with all three of us together.

Jenna likes riding in the Van - she finds the traffic about as interesting as Julie and Stacey. We have never seen so many motorcycles going in so many different directions - it is plain wild.

Jenna was quite hungry this morning and drank her entire bottle faster than I possibly could imagine. We later went for breakfast and she had some Rice soup and yogurt along with some Banana muffin and watermelon.

Julie and I took Jenna to the top of the Rex Hotel to see the pool and we found a beautiful area with Fish and tropical plants. It was pretty hot up there so we'll head back in the evening.
Jenna almost smiled a couple times , but figures that she will wait until she is sure about us first. She is bonding to Julie quickly and wants Julie to hold her unless she is ready to sleep. Daddy is okay to hold her as long as we are walking, but Momma is #1 the rest of the time.

Suprises ahead - Now that's a good thing

2007-06-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

We finally arrived in Vietnam and met the other families and prepared to go to the orphanage to meet Jenna. We had all been told we would visit the children today (Sunday) and get them the following day. Boy, were we surprised when they said we were actually getting them the same day we arrived! I had to rush back upstairs and pack Jenna's diaper bag.

We went to the orphanage. Jenna was the first baby they brought down. She was in a pretty dress - which was quite a surprise since most of the pictures we have of her are in boys clothes. I think she seems to be a sensitive girl. She cried, but when the other babies cried, that brought it on even more. We haven't seen a smile yet, but expect we will soon. She has two teeth on the bottom and at least 4 on the top. I haven't really had a chance to examine them yet as she has no patience for me poking around her mouth.

The orphanage was nice and the children appear to be well taken care of. I had heard this before from other adoptive families and it was nice to see with my own eyes. I do think it's heart breaking to see the older children, watching us leave with the babies. It breaks my heart to think they may never have a family to grow up in. We are very thankful and blessed to have Jenna become a part of our family.

Jenna enjoyed the van ride from the orphanage to the hotel. We gave her a toy at the orphanage and she hasn't let go of it the rest of the day - she's got a good grip.

We went shopping in the evening for some necessities - formula, juice, yogurt, cereal, water and - oh yeah, coffee for Stacey - big surprise there! Jenna loved riding in the Ergo Carrier. She cried when we first put her in it, but once she was used to it, she did just great. There was lots for her to see at the little shopping mall across from our hotel. She was a very good shopper - typical girl I suppose.

She also got to meet some of her Vietnamese relatives - as did Stacey and I. They hadn't seen me since I was Jenna's age. We're hoping to get out to the country to visit my mom's relatives before we leave the south.

We had been warned by my friend Dana that we needed to double check the type of formula listed on Jenna's discharge sheet with what was actually fed to her. I was so caught up in the moment I didn't do that - much to my chagrine. The formula we bought doesn't seem to agree with her, so we'll go to the store in the morning and try another formula - the same type Dana said her son is on.

Jenna went down at 7:30pm last night and it's currently 2:00am and she's still asleep. Now that's a good thing.

I'm leaving on a jet plane

2007-06-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

We took off Friday evening PDX to LAX. The LAX airport was a big disappointment. Old, no signs telling you where to go. The bathrooms in the international terminal need to be totally demolished. There were actually holes rusted through in the stalls - no Hollywood glamour here. LAX to Hong Kong flight was long, but uneventful, which is a good thing. The Hong Kong airport was great. Stacey loved it when he got off the plane and there was a Starbucks - just a little bit of home in Hong Kong!

Rush to catch our flight

2007-06-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

I really haven't been too stressed - seemed like I had plenty of time to finish things up. Boy was I wrong. I guess if I wasn't running around like a crazy person things wouldn't be right! I guess I can rest and relax on the airplane. Sorry no picture this post. We had good intentions... Looking forward to a more interesting next post. Take care - gotta fly!

Packing and Preparing

2007-05-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

We spent Memorial Weekend shopping and packing. It's amazing all the things you need to bring with you when you're adopting from a foreign country. Lots of American Medications - for the baby and us adults - just in case. Only a few more days left - I'm sure I'll be crazy busy trying to get everything together!

Travel Plans are in Place

2007-05-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

Our travel plans are now in place and Julie and I will be departing for Vietnam on June 1st. We are both very excited about getting to meet Jenna finally after seeing photos of her almost 8 months ago. She has grown a lot since those first photos arrived. We are busy getting last minute tasks completed so that we can be ready for the trip.