Quick recap, copied and pasted from some of my earlier posts in Feb. -
Our 30 year old son met a young woman when he was in Kauai in Jan 2016 and she lives in Beijing, China. It’s hard to make this a simple explanation but I’ll try. She is an English speaking tour guide for tourists mostly from USA, Canada and some from Europe. My son was visiting friends who have a vacation home in Kauai who had been her clients on a tour in China. They thought she was wonderful and told her if she was ever in Kauai she was welcome to stay with them. She was visiting them when he was also visiting them. Two young single people meeting in paradise, what could possibly happen?
They kept in touch for a year and then she was arranging a few months of travel to USA and Canada and staying a few weeks with their mutual friends who are local in our area. Well, she didn’t stay long with them, she stayed with my son and they realized they are much more than friends.
They let us know what’s going on and it’s SERIOUS. He is planning a visit to meet her family in Beijing later this year and they have let us know that they are moving toward an engagement.
Here is the new info. He's been in Beijing for almost 2 weeks and met her family. They like him a lot and approve of their marriage. He traveled with a surprise engagement ring (for a very short engagement) and a (not surprise) wedding band for her. For himself he took my father's wedding band. They went to the US embassy so that he could get a Affidavit of Marriageability attesting to the fact that he is single or that all his marriages have ended. Their appointment for registering their marriage wasn't until today so they have been busy seeing many interesting places in and around Beijing. They've sent pictures of all the places they have visited and many of the things they are eating.
Last night (Saturday morning in China) they registered their marriage, got their certificates and then we all video chatted. We knew this was happening, they have kept us informed of their plans, so I had a bottle of champagne already chilled and we toasted to the newlywed couple via Facetime!
They have a few days left before he comes home and they are going to a nice hotel in Beijing for the rest of their honeymoon.
She will move here in June. In the meantime she has tours scheduled in China that she wants to complete. She will also be taking a group from Beijing to Boston later in April so he will go there for a few days to be with his new wife.
We expect that within the next year or so we will go to China for a wedding celebration and to meet her family.
We are just thrilled with all of this. They are a great pair and we genuinely love her. While it's a little odd that it happened on the other side of the world, without us there, we've been very supportive of them taking care of what works for them. We knew that this was the purpose of his trip.
This has been so exciting for all of us. Suddenly, we are an international family. I see a lot of things differently now. I'm a MOTHER-IN-LAW! With potential for being one of those "G" word people (grandparent)!
Our 30 year old son met a young woman when he was in Kauai in Jan 2016 and she lives in Beijing, China. It’s hard to make this a simple explanation but I’ll try. She is an English speaking tour guide for tourists mostly from USA, Canada and some from Europe. My son was visiting friends who have a vacation home in Kauai who had been her clients on a tour in China. They thought she was wonderful and told her if she was ever in Kauai she was welcome to stay with them. She was visiting them when he was also visiting them. Two young single people meeting in paradise, what could possibly happen?
They kept in touch for a year and then she was arranging a few months of travel to USA and Canada and staying a few weeks with their mutual friends who are local in our area. Well, she didn’t stay long with them, she stayed with my son and they realized they are much more than friends.
They let us know what’s going on and it’s SERIOUS. He is planning a visit to meet her family in Beijing later this year and they have let us know that they are moving toward an engagement.
Here is the new info. He's been in Beijing for almost 2 weeks and met her family. They like him a lot and approve of their marriage. He traveled with a surprise engagement ring (for a very short engagement) and a (not surprise) wedding band for her. For himself he took my father's wedding band. They went to the US embassy so that he could get a Affidavit of Marriageability attesting to the fact that he is single or that all his marriages have ended. Their appointment for registering their marriage wasn't until today so they have been busy seeing many interesting places in and around Beijing. They've sent pictures of all the places they have visited and many of the things they are eating.
Last night (Saturday morning in China) they registered their marriage, got their certificates and then we all video chatted. We knew this was happening, they have kept us informed of their plans, so I had a bottle of champagne already chilled and we toasted to the newlywed couple via Facetime!
They have a few days left before he comes home and they are going to a nice hotel in Beijing for the rest of their honeymoon.
She will move here in June. In the meantime she has tours scheduled in China that she wants to complete. She will also be taking a group from Beijing to Boston later in April so he will go there for a few days to be with his new wife.
We expect that within the next year or so we will go to China for a wedding celebration and to meet her family.
We are just thrilled with all of this. They are a great pair and we genuinely love her. While it's a little odd that it happened on the other side of the world, without us there, we've been very supportive of them taking care of what works for them. We knew that this was the purpose of his trip.
This has been so exciting for all of us. Suddenly, we are an international family. I see a lot of things differently now. I'm a MOTHER-IN-LAW! With potential for being one of those "G" word people (grandparent)!