Group photo!!!   11 amazing families we had the blessing to get to know!!!!  

Madi is kestrel's little friend,   we are excited she lives in houston,  hope to see her again. 

                                          world's 2nd highest tower? 

                               went to safari park today!   awesome place,   he is above us hanging in a tree over the walking path  

baby tigers in an incubator  awwww  

the kids loved feeding the giraffes

i couldn't believe Jun had NO fear!!!    i've been so worried she'd be terrified of our animals.   should have known,   i think she's going to love them

kestrel was so excited to find ponies,  especially the one that looks like pixie

YES he is sleeping on ice!  

fun shuttle ride thru the safari,  got us up close to lots of the animals

yes they let animals on the shuttle :-) 

             

babies

Shamian Island

listening to Jason Gray "remind me who i am "     on youtube


i've wondered before coming how many times in the future will Jun ask us to "remind her who she is and what she is to us, to tell her lest she forget , that she belongs to us" i want to in grain these thoughts so i can remember when in her actions she's "asking us" if she belongs.       

                                 the kids found these the first morning at breakfast.   donut tree  

                                                    part of our 1 bedroom suite 

                                         elevators on our floor,   the hotel is gorgeous!!

yesterday we went shopping at Shamian Island, the adoptive families used to all stay on the island , but after the consulates and medical moved off the island, and the White Swan Hotel closed for renovations agencies started using hotels off island. it was a quiet place reminding me of New Orleans. gorgeous buildings and trees, gavin found the chess set he wanted, gage found a set of Terra Cotta Soldiers (wishing we had gone to see them but it would have added 2 days to our trip. ) the girls found chinese shoes, dresses and bracelets . mama got some bracelets too. and a neat necklace charm that is mom in chinese.

   school kids lined up for morning excercise,  some were talking to me til a teacher yelled at them  and they got in tight formation

we were warned that the chinese LOVE photos of themselves with americans,   especially blond children.  poor kestrel put up with it the first day (men mostly grabbing her and posing for a photo)    and since then cries if anyone asks her,     today 3 women asked her she started crying.   i told her,  kestrel the pretty girl just wanted you to take a photo,  she quickly looked up" where????"    i had to laugh,  all 3 were "hmnm"  not pretty :-) 

today we say good bye to some good friends we've made, thankfully they live in KS so we plan to meet halfway to do some camping, etc. they had 3 and were here to pickup their 4th. Evie we'll get you a sister :-)

this is daniel who totally thinks gage is his new big brother,  

we went out to dinner as a group one night,  this restaurant was recommended and when the food came we all were pretty grossed out.   this was a whole chicken,  feet, head  all included   daniel above couldn't get enough of it.   we all ate as little as possible,  paid and went to pizza hut and had a pizza party in the hotel hallway.  

this is will,.  we have fallen in love with his family,   3 teenagers and a 4yr old.   great kids!! 

our guides waiting for us in airport at GZ 

megan is will's sister

                                                michelle, megan and new sister Dong Wei.
  it was  so   neat to see the other families kids on the first day,  i saw dong wei with tears in her eyes and totally reserved. every day i see more and more smiles.   to see the kids come out of their shells and open up to their parents AND the rest of us in the group is amazing.  they blossom right before your eyes.  I can't believe today we've had Jun one week!!!   i feel like after you have a baby and they are one week old already,  where does the time go!!! 

this is daniel and his friend.  they came from the same orphanage and are very close,  always hugging and looking for each other. 

Today, Monday the 21st, we all left at 10am to go to the Visa medical check up. Here we are in the waiting room to go through the 3 stations we need to do. The ENT station, weight and measurement and temp station, and then the general check with the doctor. This is also where they review any medical forms we have brought along from the orphanage, hospital, foster homes etc...

great ending to this page :-)   haha,   While at the park on Friday,a friend lisa caught this!   a  little one wearing  split pants. Just as she   took the picture, she bent over! You see babies/toddlers all over wearing these types of pants, rather than diapers. They basically go to the bathroom where ever!

another free day,  we get Jun's passport today,   then fly to our last stop tommorrow,  Guangzhou.  that is where the US consulate is .    so we hit the park again. 

 wow our "herd" keeps growing :-)     

 there was a wedding in the park,  it was tiny and beautiful!! 

this group of 10yr olds were celebrating a birthday ,   they were so excited to practice their english with paul and eric.   i don't know who was having more fun,  the kids or the men 

today was a free day,  so we went to the park for the morning,  very relaxing.   as you can see they drive scooters on the sidewalk,  so its some chaos to walk anywhere

    we felt very chinese today when we walked in front of a bus and hoped it wouldn't hit us 

in the park was a small kids amusement area,  i am assuming this is Jun's first carousel ride,  she loved it and was very unhappy when we pulled her off after easily 10-15min.   apparently you pay to ride but never have to get off,   so it slows down to let you on or off but doesn't stop unless everyone gets off.  so paul just kept going and going :-)   the girls were in heaven  

  this little guy was laughing at us b lowing bubbles and popping them,   i got him on video below

   woman doing Tai Chi?  in the park  

   i hope this video works ,   he just laughed and laughed at the bubbles