In Guangzhou at last!!!!

We are so excited to be in Guangzhou! It is the last step of the HUGE process!! We can hardly believe it!!! We look at our precious daughter and cannot beleive how much God has truly blessed us with her - she is precious!!!

We arrived here around 8pm last night. She did great on her flight!!! It was a good test run for the BIG ONE:) We are staying at the White Swan Hotel. Everyone has ranted and raved about this hotel but i think that we were spoiled in Chongqing at the Marriott:):) Don't get me wrong - this is a very nice 5 star hotel. The rooms are a bit smaller and beds ALOT harder than the Marriott and we don't have adjoining rooms here:( But, the breakfast is much bigger and much more "western" style foods!! We have lightened up a bit on be so restrictive here in what we eat - which is nice:) We are eating more fruits and veggies... Also, the lobby is much more extravagant with water fountains in the hotel and a huge waterfall in the pool etc... The area seems a little more safer too - we feel comfortable walking around as we please:)

Today, we met at 10:30 and got all the children in our travel groups picture. Hayleigh was asleep when we got there and had to wake her for the picture -but not a fuss!!! Then we all walked down to the Medical Clinic. There were 3 stations: ENT (Ears, Nose & Throat), the medical surgical ( i think that's what it's called) and then the "vitals" station. We went to the "medical surgical" one first - the lady measured her head and then laid her down and poked around on her tummy and said she was good! She apparently was checking her liver etc...???? Then we were whisked off to the ENT. We were expecting them to actually look into her ears to check them but they just asked us if she could hear and then made noised with toys to see if she would look in that direction - okay.... She did actually pry her mouth open and looked in - i don't know if she did see anything though - she will hardly let us put anything in her mouth:):) Then they weighed her in at 18.4 pounds and i don't remember how tall. All in all, it was fairly painless. Several nurses gathered around her and kept telling us how beautiful she is:):) We just smile and say "xie xie" (thank you:)). ----Meanwhile, the boys and gramma were swimming in the rain. I guess gramma just sat under an umbrella:)

Then we had a lunch snack and were off shopping. I have been waiting for this for a long time - an finally i feel like i can BUY-BUY-BUY. There are some very good deals here:)---Cheri, let me know if there is something that i should not forget to buy for Hayleigh! :) We did buy a few things today but plan on doing a little shopping each day. Hayleigh got 2 free toys from 2 shops. The ladies went on and on about how cute she is. She can be quite the "flirt" and "ham". She loves to smile:):) She is such a joy!!!

We had to head back to the hotel for a 3:00 appt. with Rebecca (our Guangzhou guide) and Lily ( our China coordinator). We spent 2 hrs. preparing the final paperwork for our US Consulate appt.!! What a relief to have that completed and in their trustworthy hands!!!

Most of the group went to Thai food, but the "light weights" stayed here and went to a nearby restaraunt called "Lucy's". We ate with our travel buddies - the Collin's and then the Turner's have finally joined up with us! The Turner's are adopting 3 yr old Kayley from the Wuhan Province. They are very happy to meet up with the group, as they have been traveling alone.

We are planning on going to a Temple and to a Shopping Market tomorrow:)

Congratulations Heidi and Jeremy on your wedding day - Sept. 24th!!! You are in our thoughts
and prayers:):)

P.S. We can finally see our Blog:)