March 1999

Spring Newsletter 1999 

Anne McHugh and Brent Thatcher compiled the following trip report. They traveled to China in March to bring their daughter, Emma, home.

Eight families celebrated Easter weekend by returning home with their newly adopted children from China. Home included cities from several provinces, and one group member's sister travelled from Paris, France to join us in China.

The trip was memorable and all group members were overjoyed by the arrival of their happy and healthy children in Hangzhou. Adopted children included seven girls, and one boy. All the group members were first time parents, which was anxiety provoking at times. Many thanks to Grandmother Vi, Aunt Mary and mother Yulin who travelled with the group and generously offered parenting advice to us "rookies."

Yulin was a fabulous resource, and she kept us organized and on time. The Chinese people were friendly and wonderfully accepting of the international adoptions. The early spring weather was a little colder than usual, however, we still managed to accomplish a great deal of sightseeing.

These intense two weeks created a bond between the children and the group members that hopefully will last a lifetime. Intense joy, tears, camaraderie, delicious meals, exotic sights, and new parenthood were shared in a beautiful country. Many thanks to Yulin for making the trip so successful, and for helping us to fulfill our dream of becoming parents.