Glimpse of Taiwan

A typical street view in Taiwan.

Lots of colorful signs and cartoon characters.

View of Kaohsiung from the zoo.

Scooters everywhere!  I liked the lady's hat. ;)

The Hats

 Our gifts from Beckett's birth parents:

Doesn't Lance look thrilled? ;)

 Only Caysen could pull off this look and make it cute!

They were very thoughtful to bring us gifts and I'm sure Beckett and Caysen will have fun with them in years to come!

Beckett's First Family

We were able to meet with Beckett's birth parents while we were in Taiwan.  They were so sweet and funny; what a blessing to be able to get to know them just a little bit.

They wanted to do something fun, not just sit in a restaurant and talk, so we decided to take them swimming.  It was their first swimming experience (swimming is not a common activity in Taiwan), but they seemed to have a good time.  After a little time in the pool, we hung out on the deck and exchanged gifts.  We asked questions and expressed our gratitude (all through a translator) and they did the same.  I am so thankful we got to meet them and I look forward to a continued relationship in the coming years.

AIT Approval

Our family of four (and Columbus) holding the packet containing Beckett's visa.

Our adoption was final before we headed to Taiwan, but we still had one last hurdle to jump, our AIT appointment.  AIT is the American embassy in Taiwan and they decide whether or not to issue Beckett's visa which permits him to enter the US.

We had a little bit of a scare at our appointment because they asked for a document that was sitting in a filing cabinet at home.  Thankfully, my parents were able to find the document and e-mail it within an hour.  As soon as AIT had the document, they issued Beckett's visa and put it in the mail.  We got the visa Thursday afternoon, just before we started our journey home on Friday! :)

Columbus in Taiwan

On our way to Taiwan, we had a long layover at LAX.  We were hanging out at our gate about an hour before boarding when a random guy approached us and asked us if we would do something.  He had a stuffed raccoon named Columbus that he wanted us to take to Taiwan.  Columbus is supposed to be passed around from traveler to traveler in hopes of sending him to countries all over the world.  I have to admit, my first thought was, "That raccoon is either full of drugs or it's actually a bomb.  There is no way I'm taking it anywhere!"  After giving it some more thought, we decided he probably wouldn't have made it through security if either of the above were true.  So, we took our chances and agreed to take Columbus to Taiwan.  We are supposed to send a letter and this picture to the class in Germany that originally sent Columbus on his journey.  They will respond to us once they get our letter, kinda cool!  A friend that volunteers for His Hands is headed to Thailand in a few weeks so we gave Columbus to her so she can pass him on and see where he ends up next!

Totally Worth It

You can't go to Taiwan without experiencing a hair wash!  I still can't get over it!  An hour of pampering, massage, and a hair styling...all for about $3 US!!



I die.