We got to the airport just in time and after checking in 4 bags and 1 stroller, we were on our way. We had a stopover at San Francisco. We met up with Mom and Dad and Patrick - they drove up to the airport just to see us. We spent a few minutes relaxing and talking and with good wishes they sent us off to our 14-hour trip to Taiwan.
April 1, 2007. 6:30am. We arrived in Taipei. Note that with the time change, we lost 1 day. We had arranged for a limousine pick-up from the airport to the hotel. The limo driver with the sign for Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Smith was a very welcome sight. We checked-in at the hotel, took a quick shower and then we were off to the domestic airport in Taipei. We were going to take a 1-hour domestic flight to Tainan where the St. Lucy Center is located. This orphanage had been Ben's home for the first 12 months of his life.
April 1, 2007. 1pm. St. Lucy Center. They had an Open House that day in preparation for their Grand Re-Opening the following day. There were a lot of people around and we were overwhelmed and very anxious to meet Ben. From the 2nd floor balcony, I looked down below and I saw Ben. I just knew it was him. This is the first picture I took of him. Several guests of the orphanage were talking to him.
In a few minutes, he was brought to us. Here are the pictures of that first meeting. Included also on the slide show are the pictures taken on April 2. That was the Grand Re-opening of the orphanage and there was a nice program prepared for the guests. There were also dignitaries from the orphanage, the community and the American Institute if Taiwan.
We flew back to Taipei on April 2. We spent a few days there - we had our AIT appointment to get Ben's US visa and then we tried to go and see some sights in the city. I remember that it was always cloudy/raining the whole time we were there. Here are some pictures we took when we were there. Someday, it would be nice to be able to go back there and visit.
We went home on Friday, April 6. We had a stopover again in San Francisco. This time, Kelly and Ben joined Mom and Dad and Patrick to welcome all of us home.
I'll end this entry with this close-up picture I took of Ben on the morning of April 2. We were having breakfast at the hotel in Tainan and I was looking (more staring, I guess) at his face. I wanted to capture that exact moment.
It has been a good year for our family. Although the first few weeks were quite challenging due to adjustment issues both on Ben and our part, we've overcome those first few hurdles. Ben is now a happy, healthy toddler and we are so blessed and grateful to have him in our lives.
