We have just spent 3 enjoyable days in Meila's town. We have seen parks, the new zoo, new shopping malls, old shopping districts and, most importantly, returned to Mei's finding spot and orphanage. The city has changed a ton since our time here in Jan 2004. Our guide said that there were less than 2 million people here in 2004 and now there are over 5 million. There is construction everywhere and even the orphanage is currently building a new facility which will move all the children out an... Continue reading ...
Thursday, August 4th, and we are on the move again. Up early for a 1.5 hour bus ride back to Guilin airport and flight to Guangzhou. We are staying at the White Swan hotel as we did for 3 of 4 adoption trips. We are told we will be the last group here to see it as it has always been for adoptive families. Within the month they start a year long renovation program and so it will be different if we every return. The hotel is still beautiful with all it's charm...the waterfall and fish pond to ... Continue reading ...
We were out of touch for a few days but will try to catch you up a little. We have been SO busy and seen So much in the last 3-4 days. Our time in Xi'an was wonderful and our trip to Anya's orphanage couldn't have gone any better. I did add a few pictures into the post that Mark did for me about our time there. We headed straight to the airport after our time at Anya's orphanage and made it to Guilin around 10pm. That put us at the hotel around 11 and ready for sleep, especially because we ... Continue reading ...
Thank you Skype for allowing us to connect at all! Kelly was not able to get a good enough internet connection to post photos and stories of their trip to Anya's orphanage- so here's an update from what I could hear... The trip to the orphanage was different than last time. Previously it had been beyond the city border and across corn fields and rural China- but now is connected by the cities expansion. Kelly said that it seemed they arrived much faster, and didn't cross any fields- although ... Continue reading ...
  The girls at Chinese classes  Anya and Meila learning a new paddle ball game at the Temple of Heaven Park.   Temple of Heaven  Hand stretched noodles..yummy!  Anya getting her book signed by the farmer who found the terracotta warriors.  Pretty girls! Continue reading ...
We have had a wonderful day here in Anya's hometown! It is nice to slow down for a day, sleep in and be away from the big group tour. (Our group has been great, with lots of nice families..it is just a different pace when you are going everywhere with so many other people) We met our guide, Micheal, at 10 and were able to go see Anya's finding spot. First, he took us to the local police branch office where Anya finding papers said she was taken to. We talked to some officers, including one w... Continue reading ...
We have been so busy we seem to be a few days behind on our pictures and updates. The computer here is very slow so not sure what we will be able to get uploaded tonight.  This picture is just for Ethan. We did make it to Xi'an yesterday after a 3 hour delay due to rain in Beijing. We went to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda yesterday afternoon and then the Tong Dynasty Show with dumpling banquet in the evening. These were the same places that we visited when we adopted Anya so it brought back lots... Continue reading ...
Another full day! We saw The Great Wall (at the same place we took Simon and Henry and Ethan three years ago) We took the steeper, less traveled side of the wall and it was beautiful with hardly another person on it. Amazing, because the opposite saw was swarming with people. The camel was still there from the last visit and Meila and Anya each took a turn on it followed by Popsicles ..brought back a lot of memories of our trip to China to bring Henry home.    Before and after the Great Wall... Continue reading ...
Our Day in Pictures:  Corn on the cob, on a stick, for breakfast=fun.    Ricksaw ride through the Hutong area of Beijing.  Lunch at local Hutong family's home.  Our host for lunch.  Could we find a "calender shot" somewhere is China?  Tian'an Men Square celebrating 80 years of communism.  All the children in our "ping-pong" group.  The Forbidden City..it is so hard to capture the immensity of it all, layer after layer.  The emperor's garden.  The acrobatic Show was pretty amazing. The boys would have really love... Continue reading ...
We have made it to Beijing! Wonderful flights, arrived in a full hour early, which had us checked in to our hotel and eating from the yummy breakfast buffet before 7am.   Our first day was a free day..left to explore and try to stay awake until a reasonable bedtime hour. We filled it with shopping. (How can you not love grocery shopping in China...every part of a pig you could want...snout, ears, feet, tail..yummy.) (Smoked & Spiced Duck Tongues-So why does that duck look so happy?) Next, we HAD... Continue reading ...
We are on our way to China today!  Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelly I on Friday, August 6, 2010,
Anya and I braved the LA city buses, learned some new lingo (the red line, the metro rapid, the 720 to the coast and the 920 returning to Wilshire and Vermont) We dipped our feet in the ocean, feed the ocean birds popcorn and ate cotton candy (that's on a pureed diet isn't it???) We had a very nice day together and made it back to the hospital safe and sound!  Tonight, Anya is scheduled to have her palate packing removed. It is all sutured in and they will try to take it out at the bedside. I... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelly I on Wednesday, August 4, 2010,
We started today with present opening over breakfast. Next, a little guitar hero on the Nintendo DS (thank you Grandma Anita and Grandpa John) followed by some i-Carley action (thank you Meila) and then we surveyed everyone we could find to figure out the best place to spend our day..  Happy Birthday to Anya, in Hollywood,California! After 5 trips to Shriner's, we have finally seen something besides the hospital and the airport. We took a taxi from the hospital to Hollywood Boulevard and spen... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelly I on Monday, August 2, 2010,
After a slow start yesterday on the road to recovery, today we are definitely on the right track and making up for lost time. Anya's "wips" are getting better and the swelling has gone down a ton. We got two new chap sticks today (used up everything we had brought in the first day) and she is now happily joining in on all the activities and goodies offered here. Her throat is still a little scratchy/sore from the breathing tube but she has had NO palate pain at all yet! Below is a sampling of... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelly I on Saturday, July 31, 2010,
  Well surgery is over and Anya is doing OK. She went in to the OR last night about 5:15 ,made it to the recovery room at 8:15, then back to her room at 9:30. Her lips are very sore and swollen so we are keeping the ice and chap stick flowing with a little Demerol thrown in for good measure. She had four surgeons with her yesterday, Dr William Magee III is her primary surgeon: (http://www.hopeforkids.com/site/c.lpISKYOvFkG/b.4204757/k.A9F0/Our_Doctors.htm ...you need to scroll down a coup... Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark on Friday, July 30, 2010,
 Anya, at her recent birthday party blowout.Kelly and Anya left Denver yesterday for Los Angeles and Shriners Hospital, where Anya will undergo another surgery today (Fri). After meeting with the surgeon Thursday evening, the plan is to make another attempt at tissue repair, but this time they'll use Alloderm to help the tissue grow together. That will involve surgery Friday, a week's hospital stay, and a return to the surgical suite to remove the Alloderm, once her own tissue is healing. Of ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark on Saturday, July 17, 2010,
 Meila was beaming a bloody smile yesterday as she pranced around with her first lost tooth. She thought it was pretty remarkable that she would lose that first tooth, on the night of her first 'spend the night'... Rachel was over for a sleep over; her first, and Meila's first. Also a bit of a going away celebration- there have been a few of those for each of the kids the last week or two. Rachel reported that she had already lost 'about 7' teeth, and she's the same age as Mei. It was sad for ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark on Monday, July 12, 2010,
You'll get it if you have kids. Last week Meila asked if she could have some 'file cabinet space', and she was excited to have her own hanging files etc- her desk is a sight to behold in my office. Absolute chaos (my office) and her desk: immaculate and organized. Today, I found the files she had set up in the space I offered her  Meila's 'plain old paper' and 'important paper'. It's the things that you chuckle to yourself about in private that make it worth while. Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark on Friday, July 9, 2010,
Lots to report on... where to begin? We'll work backwards. This morning, scheduled a surgery for Anya in Los Angeles with Dr Magee for a 'final' attempt at repairing her palate fistula, before the all important bone graft. That fistula repair is important because for the bone graft to be successful, the palate must be closed, and a fistula is a little opening- which we've been trying to close for several surgeries... Time is not on our side with Anya's mouth- last week she had her braces remov... Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark on Saturday, June 12, 2010,
The first day of summer vacation was tough. No formal schedule, and some confused 'bored' kids. Anya was even ready to go back to school in the first couple of days of summer-- but it's better now. We seem to have fallen quite comfortably into the mode of rising and shining when it feels right and playing outside from dawn to dusk.   Summer also marks the time that we can rally Kelly for Zeke to get a summer cut, and he got it! Streamlined and happy to be free, Zeke is a little thing under ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark on Thursday, May 20, 2010,
Tonight at the 6-8th Grade Science Fair, we browsed about 260 kids' projects as long as we could. you know how those school events are jam packed- not a spare parking space, and wall to wall people? We were there. LO and behold, they announced the honorable mentions for 7th grade, then 3rd place, then 2nd place, then the judge said "This is going to sound a little weird, but we chose a project that demonstrated the best use of Scientific Principle, testing nail polish". Well, guess who has be... Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark on Sunday, May 16, 2010,
[If these entries seem a little daily life mundane, bear with us. The purpose is to share with Kelly what's happening at home, while she's 6,000 miles away] We were excited to have a nice day, that it didn't precipitate at all during the day. So we rolled out the doormat on bussie and did some work. Painted over JFJ on the outside, repaired some plumbing concerns underneath, cleared out the water supply line strainer and the toilet works perfectly in the bus. I have a feeling it's gonna be a l... Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark on Saturday, May 15, 2010,
WOW. I think the schools are trying to wear the kids out before summer break. We have had no less than 2 major events, and as many as 4 per day at the school (this is a great week for grandma to be here). Today, it was Pet Day in Mrs Leija's class with Simon & Henry. We brought Zeke in for a little show and tell.  Later in the afternoon, Meila presented her Sea Cucumber report to a packed house- everyone had a parent there. The Sea cucumber was dimensional, stuffed and lifelike for sure. Meila ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark on Friday, May 14, 2010,
Crazy weather week, started off yesterday with enough snow in one night for the whole month:  Despite Kellys fear that I would forget Henry's birthday party - it turned out great! My Mom, in town visiting for a couple of weeks arrived on Wednesday afternoon just in time for the big party. Regular birthday party stuff and Henry was very pleased to be the center of attention.  Thursday night we made it to the 8th grade choir concert, Lauren sang nicely I'm sure- or at least had her mouth moving exa... Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark on Thursday, May 13, 2010,
Anya killed with her Serena Williams presentation at the 4th grade Wax Museum. YouTube link Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark on Monday, May 10, 2010,
Sad news is that the most popular Mom in our house left the country 2 days before Mothers Day!  The last look we had of Mom as she departed for her favorite foreign country.Kelly jetted off to China on Friday for the 2.5 wk surgery trip with Alliance for Smiles. She serves on the team as a recovery room nurse. Saturday day we cleaned inside Bussie, Saturday night we all slept over in Bussie after watching the movie RV and eating pizza in the rear lounge. The kids moved in and personalized their ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark on Monday, April 26, 2010,
Finally, we were able to get a trip in to see Aaron & Megans new home in Aurora. It will be a great place to have family gatherings! While there's plenty of room to spread out, it feels comfortably like a home. The park is across the street, and there are ducks to feed (Aaron provided duck food).  Feeding the ducks within a few hundred yards of their new home.  We all agreed that it was very Tom-Igel-esque, complimenting the style of home Uncle Tom and Aunt Patti have always had. Distinguishe... Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark on Sunday, April 25, 2010,
Ethan is this years lucky participant in the MARBLE RUN. It's a 5th grade project to design and construct a device that will allow a marble to travel from the top of a 3' x 1.5' board set at a 45 degree angle- as slowly as possible. Longest run wins the fame. In the true Igel spirit (in this house) we excel at last minute project finishing- and Ethan put his together in only the last few days of his 4 week assignment. Turned out nice, wild animals for dramatic effect.  Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark on Tuesday, April 20, 2010,
Big night for me, a date with two of the cutest girls in the neighborhood. We got dressed up for the Father-Daughter Dance from 6-8pm at the Elementary School. We bidded successfully on a family hike for our family with a fun teacher in the National Park, a tea for Meila with the first grade teachers, and a pizza lunch for Anya with one of her teachers.  Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark on Friday, April 16, 2010,
Lauren ran VERY well in the area track meet in Ault on Thursday. Here's the video link: Track meet clip Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelly I on Thursday, March 4, 2010,
Lauren turned 13 today!! We (Mark and I) spent a wonderful day together with her celebrating. No school, a little shopping, a little eating out, a few gifts and then home to a SURPRISE party put together for her by all the other kids. It was so much fun and Lo really was surprised!  +++++ Here is a little peak at the wonderful decorating job the children put together, it looked great!  Another look into the party...  What a blessing Lauren is.....we have had a wonderful day celebrating her! We lo... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelly I on Sunday, February 28, 2010,
Posted by Kelly I on Sunday, February 28, 2010,
We have been hearing about Mark's "Henry dog" for years but now we have actually SEEN it! Henry was beside himself to see his letters H-E-N-R-Y on the dog's chest.  Continue reading ...
Posted by Mark on Sunday, February 28, 2010,
(Originally posted Feb 16, 2010) At school, Ethan researched and
portrayed CALVIN COOLIDGE for the visiting masses. I learned President
Coolidge had a lot of strange pets.  The entrepreneur spirit is alive
and very well, Anya is the latest to have caught it. This sign is posted
on her bedroom door, advertising services.  Continue reading ...
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