tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73718760814535664142024-03-12T20:38:47.840-07:00Love, Laughter and LunacyLisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-59598786808632289052012-04-22T06:07:00.000-07:002012-04-22T06:07:00.010-07:00Delayed Egg HuntYesterday, we joined my brother- and sister-in-law at my in-laws for lunch and a delayed egg hunt. My brother-in-law hid the eggs for both generations of kids, littles in the front yard and bigs in the back yard. He even tried incorporated Passover by hiding a special egg with money in it...almost the afikomen tradition. It was so nice that he tried to incorporate both holidays. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before the big hunt...I think the sun was in her eyes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kaleb finding his one of many eggs...He helped Hannah and Zach find theirs too.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids before the hunt....Chloe and Kaleb went first.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe loved hunting with her Uncle John.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing off the goods after the fun</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging with their Aunt Amy on the couch</td></tr>
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We all had a great time. We were only missing cousins Jaden, Kanen, and Scott; we hope Jaden feels better soon!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-50739084699466158922012-04-14T06:00:00.001-07:002012-04-14T06:00:08.282-07:00The First Week...I know I won't probably be an every day blogger like I was when we were in China, but my goal is to at least post an update once a week.<br />
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Chloe continues to adjust more and more each day. Our sleep-time battles have become "small arguments" and last night she slept in her room the entire night. (However, I almost tripped over her brother Kaleb who was sleeping on my floor by 2:00 a.m.) She and Kaleb are definitely bonding more. I have some mommy tug-a-war moments, but I do not hear Kaleb ask "When is Chloe going home?" anymore.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sibling love<br /></td></tr>
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She also wants to do everything her big brother and sister does.<div>
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I took her to the doctor on Wednesday, but I left all of her records at home, so we had to re-schedule for Monday. On Thursday, we had a dentist appointment, but the dentist took one look in Chloe's mouth and referred us to a pediadontist. Just looking her mouth, he said she had at least 7 or 8 cavities. One of her molars has deteriorated to just the root and she may need a crown on another. He suggested, and my cousin who is a pediadontist in FL confirmed, that it would be best to put her completely under to do the process. Then, they could get everything done in one shot. He could also take x-rays while she is under and repair anything else then. The other choice would be multiple dental visits where she would be put in to the "twilight" sleep to get it done; however, by putting her under, she would not remember the process nor have (hopefully) negative associations with the dental office since it would be done in the hospital. I think that's the route we're going to do. Now, we're just waiting for insurance approval and, of course, the okay from both her pediatrician and her cardiologist (whom we'll be referred to on Mon.). On the positive side, she'll have it done before her permanent teeth come in, so the decay issue will be limited to only baby teeth.<br />
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We hope that her doctor appointment will go well on Monday. She's still very thin, but she is soooo much more healthy than when we first got her.<br />
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<!--EndFragment-->Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-64713345004082822322012-04-07T16:49:00.002-07:002012-04-07T16:49:56.552-07:00Coming Home...As I posted earlier, Hong Kong appeared to be a beautiful city. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had to go through customs and immigration to enter Hong Kong.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our way to the hotel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our view from the hotel - there was water on the other side. The airport was 5 minutes away.</td></tr>
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Although we would have loved to spend more time there, we were so happy to board the flight home. (Our friend, Karen, and her kids had to spend an extra night because her flight was cancelled. However, they did not seem too upset; they went to Disney because of the delay.) At the airport, we me up with four other adoptive families that were on our flight. One of them adopted a little girl from Chloe's orphanage. They went to school together.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbv-Fn6RbvVvjdaEPlXse0IssCqbQorqnxJWiV42th5kjv3T8Wo9hDVHUrhiNwjfZditnCWtUDaIBdsrZYXQdo5-dthz6-DoA-bqfqoxYr64OWf7DhEaFFwo0Q7htSscl4J8PxK7pvhA/s1600/IMG_0673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbv-Fn6RbvVvjdaEPlXse0IssCqbQorqnxJWiV42th5kjv3T8Wo9hDVHUrhiNwjfZditnCWtUDaIBdsrZYXQdo5-dthz6-DoA-bqfqoxYr64OWf7DhEaFFwo0Q7htSscl4J8PxK7pvhA/s320/IMG_0673.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They went through stages of showing love for each other through sharing, hugs, and kisses.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But mainly they acted catty to each other as you can kind of see through this picture. Although we couldn't understand what was being said, it almost appeared that they were in competition, saying, "I have this drink" or "This is my back pack." They sat in front of us on the plane and there were a couple of times we had to tell them to keep it down...Interesting....</td></tr>
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The flight was 14 hours to Detroit. Chloe maybe slept 4 hours and I slept maybe 3. Despite the LONG time in the air, she was a very good girl. She watched a few movies (She did not listen because she refused to wear her head phones.) and we walked the aisles a bunch of times. <br />
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When we arrived in Detroit, Chloe was wide awake and in a great mood. We ate dinner at a Mediterranean restaurant and boarded the plane after a 5 hour layover. (We tried to get on an earlier flight, but all was sold out.)<br />
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When we arrived in Atlanta, John, Amy, Hannah and Zach were there to greet us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hannah made a great sign.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe stuck to her big sis like glue.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She was so happy to meet both her and Zach.</td></tr>
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At home, we met my mother-in-law and father-in-law. They had been taking care of the kids for us and were watching Kaleb. All was fine until John and Amy began to leave. I think it all was just overwhelming for Chloe, and she started crying. She cried and kept repeating a phrase for over an hour. I'm sure she was saying, "I want to go home," but I couldn't understand her. I just can't imagine what this is like for her --- new people, new house, new language, etc. I gave her a bath and put her to bed in my room with Kaleb. She slept until about 2:30 and started crying again, so I put her in bed with Tim and me. She then slept on and off until around 7:00.<br />
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Today was a much better day for Chloe. We stayed home as I feel that it is better to keep her world small. She played with her brothers and sister nicely today and took a good nap.<br />
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We hope each day gets easier and easier for her and that she continues to adjust well to our family.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-43927907782668799922012-04-05T06:29:00.000-07:002012-04-05T06:29:14.717-07:00One Night in Hong KongToday was a pack and wait day. It was raining in Guangzhou, so our entertainment consisted of an inside dance party and Chinese soap operas. (Chloe loves them.) There was a lull in the rain around lunch time, so we headed for a quick trip to McDonalds.<br />
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Chloe's visa was ready for pick up at 4:15 and we piled in the van around 4:30 for Hong Kong. We were kind of surprised that Karen and her crew had a separate vehicle than we did. However, Chloe did well on the ride. She slept, ate a little, played a little, and only needed one bathroom break. </div>
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We arrived at the Marriott in Hong Kong around 7:30. Even though it was dark when we arrived, I can tell that it's a beautiful country. (We had to go through a border check and customs before entering.) I'll post pics when we get home. I can't seem to find my camera tonight....It's hard to believe that the next time I write, we'll be back in Georgia.</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-69251398956173524802012-04-04T02:15:00.000-07:002012-04-04T02:15:10.432-07:00Shamian Island<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Shamian Island used to be the place that adoptive families stayed in Guangzhou. Although some hotels still remain, since the White Swan, the main hotel, is closed for renovations (We couldn't even get into the lobby to look.), families now just visit. It was just a 10 - 15 minute taxi ride from our hotel.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to the famous White Swan hotel</td></tr>
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The island itself is beautiful. Built with both French and English influences, it includes cobble stone streets, open park areas in between century old buildings, beautiful bronze statues, and courtyards. It reminds me of New Orleans, Coral Gables or even a little like St. Augustine.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the old buildings held government offices and some held shops.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view down a walking path between buildings</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A gazebo in Queens Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The park housed trees that held the striking, red blossoms we found at the Buddhist temple.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apartments were also present. I wonder how much people pay to live in them.</td></tr>
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We even saw a bride and groom and models posing for professional photographers. Because of its beauty, it must be a popular place to have pictures made.</div>
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When we first arrived, we walked around and checked out some of the shops. Shop workers and owners came up to you and tried to entice you to enter their stores. I wonder how the closing of the famous hotel has influenced their business.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a shirt hanging outside one of the shops, too funny!</td></tr>
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We then walked to Queens Park where many people were enjoying the holiday. (It's still the Tomb Sweeping holiday.) They were playing hacky-sack and soccer and were dancing.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe wanted to dance when she saw the others dancing, so this gentleman taught her some moves and encouraged her to dance with her Baba.</td></tr>
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We walked along the river's edge in the park and enjoyed the view.</div>
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Then, we let the kids play on the playground.</div>
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We topped off our trip with lunch at Lucy's, a famous restaurant on the island that serves Western food. Chloe ate fries, a little of Tim's burger and my sandwich, a little fried rice with beef, a spring roll or two, and some of Zoey's noodles. Of course, by the time we got back to the hotel, she was ready for a banana and milk snack.</div>
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Tomorrow will be a packing day. We leave for Hong Kong around 4:30. While w have enjoyed, we are more than ready to be home.</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-48525207301925599112012-04-03T06:20:00.004-07:002012-04-03T06:20:46.243-07:00Consulate Appointment Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This morning we woke up early to meet two other families at 7:50 in the lobby to go to our Consulate appointment. This appointment is the final step in obtaining Chloe's visa. Since it was one of the tomb sweeping holiday days, traffic was light, so we arrived extra early. People were lined up outside to go in.<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The queue included other adoption families and a school group traveling to America.</td></tr>
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When we entered the Consulate building, we waited in the lobby for the Consulate to open. (It's located on the fifth floor.) We snuck in some picture taking since electronics are really not allowed in the building. Jason, our guide, warned us that we might get yelled at, but we did not.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jenna, Zoey, and Karen in front of the US Consulate sign</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juliet, Maggie, Amy, and John traveled with us too.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We finished our picture taking without being told to put our cameras up....sneaky!</td></tr>
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After going through security on the fifth floor where they compensated any electronics, we were ushered into a room with other adoption families. All of the parents were asked to stand up, raise their right hands, and swear that the paperwork we were about to present was a truthful representation of the facts. The Consulate representative said all immigrants coming to America were required to say the oath. (We were saying it on behalf of our children.) Then, each family was called on individually to present prepared paperwork to the clerk at the window. The entire process took about 45 minutes, but we were comfortable because there was air conditioning on the fifth floor (the only place in the building) and a play area for the kids.</div>
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When we returned, it was picture time for all the families. We met in the lobby of the hotel and recreated the famous White Swan couch scene. The White Swan is the hotel that most adoptive families used to stay and has a red couch where pictures of newly adopted children would be taken. However, the hotel is now closed for renovations.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The girls fooling around before the formal pictures were made</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe and Juliet</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ZDYMOt3UWWF8Muh0AFQMk1qTJTbYQORCmKRoOXv2HCVoL1S5DJQrslmpwbVYxYh8HU_A_zSMIWzMptg2riSnqsZwp_kF11JeNrJ7VyHrF2cwUIagBV6qpz9NI7vt0JA1-Q0Xb0QZrw/s1600/IMG_0574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ZDYMOt3UWWF8Muh0AFQMk1qTJTbYQORCmKRoOXv2HCVoL1S5DJQrslmpwbVYxYh8HU_A_zSMIWzMptg2riSnqsZwp_kF11JeNrJ7VyHrF2cwUIagBV6qpz9NI7vt0JA1-Q0Xb0QZrw/s320/IMG_0574.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The happy family - I seriously need to have my dress altered.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZiWm5Ag2U5a4DhoF53PclVDgyzPYJKsLFv4ktKQAgnOrPIhGIxUawXEgU_EVxPGO2vcZYIW3UQboYIZTiZ1ijxT4DjyCjns1O7tJA9qWjU1-fLomW9SIwybOUEgtIap9PoI_7pIL8zQ/s1600/IMG_0581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZiWm5Ag2U5a4DhoF53PclVDgyzPYJKsLFv4ktKQAgnOrPIhGIxUawXEgU_EVxPGO2vcZYIW3UQboYIZTiZ1ijxT4DjyCjns1O7tJA9qWjU1-fLomW9SIwybOUEgtIap9PoI_7pIL8zQ/s320/IMG_0581.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our entire adoption group</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMv9V-0fQGqiNm9n7PwHdpNnizsTUjGuyQyJA2L7fqB13bdJaZ71JYBRLRaavVLQYsyLsXiqOotza1arUqOKv_ioYDbtQ0zIB9VudIcM6ltpH6hHE8AGLC7cPHloBJFnIm6v9yWt-0yQ/s1600/IMG_0587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMv9V-0fQGqiNm9n7PwHdpNnizsTUjGuyQyJA2L7fqB13bdJaZ71JYBRLRaavVLQYsyLsXiqOotza1arUqOKv_ioYDbtQ0zIB9VudIcM6ltpH6hHE8AGLC7cPHloBJFnIm6v9yWt-0yQ/s320/IMG_0587.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All of the adopted children from our group - They stayed still for maybe 5 seconds before they started moving everywhere.</td></tr>
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The China Hotel has a lovely outdoor heated pool, and we checked it out this afternoon. Chloe was very brave and loved being dunked...up to her neck...in the water. Her Baba took her out to the middle of the pool once, but she was scared. Regardless, by the end of our pool time, she was floating on her back...a true water rat in the making.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She LOVED the water.</td></tr>
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Tonight we had a delicious dinner at the hotel. Their buffet included all types of food, both Asian and Western. Chloe particularly enjoyed dessert. She loved her ice cream and chocolate covered strawberries. Other than Kaleb, she is the only kid I know who gets the wait staff to serve her at a buffet.</div>
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Below are things I've noticed about Chloe's growing personality.</div>
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<ol>
<li>She is definitely an extrovert. I'm not sure where the shyness that was listed on her report went.</li>
<li>She talks incessantly, from the time she wakes up to the time she goes to sleep. The only exception is when she has food in her mouth.</li>
<li>She still eats A LOT, but she now can wait to have food if I tell her that we'll eat soon.</li>
<li>She understands much of what we say to her already. However, some times she chooses to listen to it and some times she doesn't. :)</li>
<li>She loves being around other children, especially girls who are a little older than she is. I think she will LOVE having a big sister.</li>
<li>She has a great sense of humor and loves to joke and play games with her Baba...when she's not being mean to him.</li>
<li>She is feeling more and more comfortable with us every day. She feels secure enough to leave our side and play with other children in our group.</li>
<li>She is a lot of fun and has a great belly laugh.</li>
</ol>
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Tomorrow is an off day since the US Consulate is closed for the tomb sweeping holiday. Tomorrow morning, we're going with Karen and her crew to Shamian Island. It's supposed to be beautiful there. One family told us that it reminded them of walking through the streets of New Orleans.</div>
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Hope everyone has a great day!</div>
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<br /></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-41195879047720366032012-04-02T06:24:00.002-07:002012-04-02T06:37:17.870-07:00Getting Buddha with ItThis morning was our TB check, so we piled into the van with the rest of the families that adopted children over two and went to the medical center. The exam literally took approximately 5 seconds per child. All the nurse did was check each child's arm and say okay. Thankfully, all the children passed with flying colors. We were in and out quickly since they opened especially just to do the TB test results since it's one of the tomb sweeping holiday days.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUG0DP4ROMj9GFotIHxf1oUMDd9MBRVBYmr8azZfz0_Jt1ddmyrG76hvZ2ZAiQbyxKykqoIpv0B-CIBA1QCZ-06Luc0ODBeUjVa9MPmgRP4TlRtkCullD4uSXHiWJR5DfUXOPTicwuJw/s1600/IMG_0493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUG0DP4ROMj9GFotIHxf1oUMDd9MBRVBYmr8azZfz0_Jt1ddmyrG76hvZ2ZAiQbyxKykqoIpv0B-CIBA1QCZ-06Luc0ODBeUjVa9MPmgRP4TlRtkCullD4uSXHiWJR5DfUXOPTicwuJw/s320/IMG_0493.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe and her friend, Juliet, at the medical exam office.</td></tr>
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When we returned from the medical center, we decided to take a little walk around the neighborhood of the China Hotel. We found this beautiful park hiding behind shops across the street. It housed a large lake with paddle boats and koi fish. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from our entrance to the park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paddle boat went up and down the lake.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYH8zo9_hao7c2p1M-DQQvUSzt3PH9u790dLe5Hs4-XghTUrYRv3v94Dr4dLdg38gnxdYQ8nMDjg3zxG-GCV9oyYfFH7OaugSGBGCHE_2G7-6Dl7_Ju80sDmbkqeou-9Jo-OrE_QfcA/s1600/IMG_0499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYH8zo9_hao7c2p1M-DQQvUSzt3PH9u790dLe5Hs4-XghTUrYRv3v94Dr4dLdg38gnxdYQ8nMDjg3zxG-GCV9oyYfFH7OaugSGBGCHE_2G7-6Dl7_Ju80sDmbkqeou-9Jo-OrE_QfcA/s320/IMG_0499.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoey, Jenna, Juliet and Chloe: Chloe made Juliet her big sister for the day since her real big sister is at home. Get ready, Hannah!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDNPkHhyphenhyphentp_iEY0qt1Xab575M5NDRMr-3UMf3Ks0816uFYBNqG6T0WdeMb8fFhDlt1z4SELibgck6SANOoYAL1Wf5Fq3lb9-ZQCaGOMvBcn4KlpoGUg5M9_VZoKI8KADMq63_w2W1mw/s1600/IMG_0502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDNPkHhyphenhyphentp_iEY0qt1Xab575M5NDRMr-3UMf3Ks0816uFYBNqG6T0WdeMb8fFhDlt1z4SELibgck6SANOoYAL1Wf5Fq3lb9-ZQCaGOMvBcn4KlpoGUg5M9_VZoKI8KADMq63_w2W1mw/s320/IMG_0502.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An older gentleman with his grandson give the girls crackers to feed to the fish.</td></tr>
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In the afternoon, we took a tour with the rest of the group to a Buddhist temple. It was really interesting. There were various Buddha figures in temple structures and a group of people chanting and worshiping in a room. Buddhism is the largest religion in China, followed by Taoism and Christianity. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLp8kpXZr7T09aA71vq3RJirL7l2UTJrDDohdTvnOlpmylSc-Omad-7O8ldgdy4nXP_5youz5F4FRpa5xBGrJNO8jtCv_UYESLfLJKj4dRWBbNTPOqxV3RBtRKVXafxDYSSk35Neg2VQ/s1600/IMG_0512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLp8kpXZr7T09aA71vq3RJirL7l2UTJrDDohdTvnOlpmylSc-Omad-7O8ldgdy4nXP_5youz5F4FRpa5xBGrJNO8jtCv_UYESLfLJKj4dRWBbNTPOqxV3RBtRKVXafxDYSSk35Neg2VQ/s320/IMG_0512.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only female Buddha, she is supposed to help with fertility, growth, etc.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXv6OGHowP2vXtjpSgvG693PkW-28PRxNyk-cg-q4i25NtfAHQ2HEUAPySHorv1qV4z5cADM5qIONsqDOfKfg4E7FLJSNqMkx3b4ooSFcq9_BDKNy3FddA_lw0HPADhaMsQ1L8qmbtjw/s1600/IMG_0513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXv6OGHowP2vXtjpSgvG693PkW-28PRxNyk-cg-q4i25NtfAHQ2HEUAPySHorv1qV4z5cADM5qIONsqDOfKfg4E7FLJSNqMkx3b4ooSFcq9_BDKNy3FddA_lw0HPADhaMsQ1L8qmbtjw/s320/IMG_0513.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A large tower in the center of the complex</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvR_S8QmcRiOGu4e7aWZGx8IWJluIPulUVOYi7Q_HXEVZWqWmZjOI2fJZvIpSk8wA-aH3c-96Y0rD-1hMCx9XpTCz43-tEYkWIvUUoreYd8pXzErmWcsAJAM01csFq5BytldEhSqaPA/s1600/IMG_0515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvR_S8QmcRiOGu4e7aWZGx8IWJluIPulUVOYi7Q_HXEVZWqWmZjOI2fJZvIpSk8wA-aH3c-96Y0rD-1hMCx9XpTCz43-tEYkWIvUUoreYd8pXzErmWcsAJAM01csFq5BytldEhSqaPA/s320/IMG_0515.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trees were over 100 years old.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXBhdMs59GlnUt2tzvbp13Kq2qMdBQVN_mCGOahKPSISjfPkbhoFB40ulJXUtXbzuyhMpxMXYC6fBwYX56dDSRLl2usUI5wod3itiC9XWHNcqxSaftzSCYl_N0sXu-3Dxx_mY7BZ1bg/s1600/IMG_0516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXBhdMs59GlnUt2tzvbp13Kq2qMdBQVN_mCGOahKPSISjfPkbhoFB40ulJXUtXbzuyhMpxMXYC6fBwYX56dDSRLl2usUI5wod3itiC9XWHNcqxSaftzSCYl_N0sXu-3Dxx_mY7BZ1bg/s320/IMG_0516.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">People were chanting in their worship ceremony, kind of like reciting prayers and hymns.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2pwcHN9OZQgyqk2R6Q1aHbS2rfOpXvt3bfj8mWmiM52Iy7pP7NEO6hWL8oulKA5AjJxui7cbJOaOPtd40Fy-kxcQFVEXisxEs8iDCf4S2_W6AouTP4DCjjfmNcttJ9UX7okhKpE3Gw/s1600/IMG_0519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2pwcHN9OZQgyqk2R6Q1aHbS2rfOpXvt3bfj8mWmiM52Iy7pP7NEO6hWL8oulKA5AjJxui7cbJOaOPtd40Fy-kxcQFVEXisxEs8iDCf4S2_W6AouTP4DCjjfmNcttJ9UX7okhKpE3Gw/s320/IMG_0519.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Much, much incense was burned. Check out the smoke around the incense station.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4WXgd9h-CQweTGKyCXRYqAk4X2CJEhmvitlR1Ew4SNLFvgubHcP-aIpwJPLsp9RluhyphenhyphenCYUcRKkxd7CqCqff4VdQ25uecSmLJB7cl8mEI1ayAatH2t8P4ept_KubVmCGNAYHGq5cXivw/s1600/IMG_0524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4WXgd9h-CQweTGKyCXRYqAk4X2CJEhmvitlR1Ew4SNLFvgubHcP-aIpwJPLsp9RluhyphenhyphenCYUcRKkxd7CqCqff4VdQ25uecSmLJB7cl8mEI1ayAatH2t8P4ept_KubVmCGNAYHGq5cXivw/s320/IMG_0524.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful red flowers grew and fell from the trees inside the complex. Maggie, our guide, gave one to Chloe.</td></tr>
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We then visited a museum of art. It held everything from ancient furniture to ivory and bone sculptures to beautiful embroidered artwork on silk.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qcpRuH2Q7b-7-OxrrlLngu4uFIQ1Zu6Ddd8AlEmC8iKtiM4CBH_wquqGrI3NGs6isweXK7XLoIP7B8rKmrSQRVuBAWaAgcG8jT0bfTeRe3oHceSqJ-4r6XsIEx3zCgyaLPJc5VOOWw/s1600/IMG_0534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qcpRuH2Q7b-7-OxrrlLngu4uFIQ1Zu6Ddd8AlEmC8iKtiM4CBH_wquqGrI3NGs6isweXK7XLoIP7B8rKmrSQRVuBAWaAgcG8jT0bfTeRe3oHceSqJ-4r6XsIEx3zCgyaLPJc5VOOWw/s320/IMG_0534.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front of the art museum</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Clh1co5eEX-8VebSLsygJuPvCwN0UEVuAMhw5mcI5FmDjjrtuNDHc6kv6Qh6ihvQpT4yTnBkxOxRntDgwlW4amifNuuH-NrRTjz9Rq7yxxTG9qXGt4v50eN9KOxdflwZfeTzy0sUqA/s1600/IMG_0539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Clh1co5eEX-8VebSLsygJuPvCwN0UEVuAMhw5mcI5FmDjjrtuNDHc6kv6Qh6ihvQpT4yTnBkxOxRntDgwlW4amifNuuH-NrRTjz9Rq7yxxTG9qXGt4v50eN9KOxdflwZfeTzy0sUqA/s320/IMG_0539.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These were two mannequins in the old furniture section; they reminded me of scary wax figures.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqRLR0nX1_6nUhT9QePO25dvKH_WkZEoWsLhiNyGrRCAgnyUX6N8qPohLSoYIhWvoQMacieuFZrUvv6CZi5C1nRT_3q3nhHGulqVdTXe4IMIntvYaGHDQd6kBKamZ4Ql3bX4wlMklVQ/s1600/IMG_0541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqRLR0nX1_6nUhT9QePO25dvKH_WkZEoWsLhiNyGrRCAgnyUX6N8qPohLSoYIhWvoQMacieuFZrUvv6CZi5C1nRT_3q3nhHGulqVdTXe4IMIntvYaGHDQd6kBKamZ4Ql3bX4wlMklVQ/s320/IMG_0541.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The museum had beautiful courtyards to sit in.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqlsbX41oo4Kbx6Ql3XdAnOEAQMjex_Oc1D1Zc2OEh_rTXPcZI3yck55glfTRvfHn6lZXJuV9HBXdomoIJThgEQrLrpXfzpYm0jA6LzAxmCarDfIjA98QeWke7hbmCMHOpi3HubF80A/s1600/IMG_0555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqlsbX41oo4Kbx6Ql3XdAnOEAQMjex_Oc1D1Zc2OEh_rTXPcZI3yck55glfTRvfHn6lZXJuV9HBXdomoIJThgEQrLrpXfzpYm0jA6LzAxmCarDfIjA98QeWke7hbmCMHOpi3HubF80A/s320/IMG_0555.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This woman was more interested in taking our picture than looking at art.</td></tr>
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Chloe was more interested in pushing the stroller around and being pushed in the stroller by Juliet than learning about Buddhism or art. However, she was definitely interested in the pizza party we had at the playground of our hotel afterward.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOk9AOtwZPC63vbk5zPhIsV-409wdaeswdN-ID1ILNnvVjILpuVEy9PDljDfMluFAegsbYGvPyR5ME3-xTOWJ1ksDZ0tk3HYakT8JFmPJYkXyAxaJFNky4d4aBZ3jri5HXodiGxHQfFw/s1600/IMG_0557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOk9AOtwZPC63vbk5zPhIsV-409wdaeswdN-ID1ILNnvVjILpuVEy9PDljDfMluFAegsbYGvPyR5ME3-xTOWJ1ksDZ0tk3HYakT8JFmPJYkXyAxaJFNky4d4aBZ3jri5HXodiGxHQfFw/s320/IMG_0557.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pizza - so yummy after a long day....</td></tr>
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Tomorrow is our consulate appointment, our last official duty before getting Chloe's visa. U.S.A., we're coming soon!<br />
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One more thing...between today and yesterday, I had two Chinese people tell me that although Chloe was quite beautiful, she was also naughty. It made me chuckle....Of course, we already knew that.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-45043793060909756982012-04-01T06:48:00.001-07:002012-04-01T06:53:11.115-07:00Shopped until We Dropped....Today, Karen and I hired a wonderful guide, Ann, to take us shopping in Guangzhou. (Thanks, Donna and Lucy for the recommendation!) She was just fabulous. Not only did she take us to all the hot spots for VERY reasonably priced souvenirs and mementos, but we had a wonderful lunch by the Pearl Market.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgb7ENTSuGq6rOK5fMMked4fEb8rZkuavIkwzXaW6sFZDmAGpNY71S4_sb-NskHds-BfBYocH05o2fhXUHSRER3372HjZACqfKiwsRiDow2XXm-p5JR-NVw2dw4i6UoVihj3eUGy77Rg/s1600/IMG_0489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgb7ENTSuGq6rOK5fMMked4fEb8rZkuavIkwzXaW6sFZDmAGpNY71S4_sb-NskHds-BfBYocH05o2fhXUHSRER3372HjZACqfKiwsRiDow2XXm-p5JR-NVw2dw4i6UoVihj3eUGy77Rg/s320/IMG_0489.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe and Ann</td></tr>
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Chloe loved being with her. She naturally gravitates to anyone who speaks Chinese to her, but Ann was particularly wonderful with her today. Chloe wanted her to be her "big sister" since Zoey's big sister Jenna was there, and Ann played the role. They sang songs together and Chloe recited all of her school poems. Ann told us that she was very bright, but "naughty" or precocious. I think we already knew that. Below is a short video of the song and dance that Chloe wanted to perform on the street.<br />
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Ann took us all over via the subway today. I could not tell you where our first stop exactly was, but we went to a little retail shop where we bought Chloe, Tim, Kaleb, Zach, and me some traditional wares. (I bought Hannah hers in Beijing.) Then, we went to another shop and bought tea sets and kids' chop sticks. Next, we headed over to the Pearl Market where the streets outside are lined with vendors...and, of course, a 7-11.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZoUN2WlqQit7084DI6MvLmnD7uVLNrQmc8Y1Dw7viE2ZE6Klu5VQ2d_qUBUGUd2BVUoIslddqrZbN5ugq42S10MPsSdSFeAajg9j_alZRz83YO9KKH9b6WQyeVWNjlEp0WiQbdziYQ/s1600/IMG_0483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZoUN2WlqQit7084DI6MvLmnD7uVLNrQmc8Y1Dw7viE2ZE6Klu5VQ2d_qUBUGUd2BVUoIslddqrZbN5ugq42S10MPsSdSFeAajg9j_alZRz83YO9KKH9b6WQyeVWNjlEp0WiQbdziYQ/s320/IMG_0483.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A shaded street outside the Pearl Market</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim stopping for a Slurpie at 711 with Jenna and Zoey</td></tr>
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The Pearl Market area is very interesting. It reminds me of a huge flea market. Ann took us to one of her vendors and we were able to pick out some beautiful strands of pearls. Tim bought me a really nice multi-colored pearl necklace for our anniversary for probably 1/8 of the price we'd pay in the States. The ladies who worked the shop, strung the pearls in front of you.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ladies stringing the necklaces</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shop had bins and bins of all different types and quality of pearls</td></tr>
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After shopping for pearls, we stopped at a little jade kiosk and bought a couple of pieces; then, we went to another store and purchased a maj jong set (for my grandmother) and Chinese checkers for Zach. They came in beautiful hand painted boxes.<br />
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Needless to say, we were exhausted when we left. Chloe fell asleep in the taxi and we decided that meeting the group for a large Cantonese meal was not such a good idea, so we opted for a little playground time and McDonalds in the room.<br />
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Tomorrow we go back to the medical center and have Chloe's TB test read. Hopefully, all will be well and we'll be able to finally put that behind us. It will be one of the last steps to getting Chloe's visa. While we're truly enjoying ourselves, we are really ready to be home. We miss the rest of our crew like crazy!<br />
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Hope everyone has a great day!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-19280888126408858142012-03-31T07:43:00.001-07:002012-03-31T07:43:53.795-07:00Medical Appointment TodayThis morning we met up with the three other families we said goodbye to in Beijing and loaded the kids up on a bus to the medical center for their check up. This medical check is a part of the process of getting Chloe's visa to the United States. <div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmnaWKH9VkBQ89sfxainydSN_27_MJaHVn838FB__CPGp0LXOfyvxD7_p8XL5H7hSFSQV9byIz8OIRQtBA-h0XPvUMjHKOy7swU6K3JNLftxuCZFzTKymxKmwd14NGbwCr6tl9zzPZA/s1600/IMG_0456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmnaWKH9VkBQ89sfxainydSN_27_MJaHVn838FB__CPGp0LXOfyvxD7_p8XL5H7hSFSQV9byIz8OIRQtBA-h0XPvUMjHKOy7swU6K3JNLftxuCZFzTKymxKmwd14NGbwCr6tl9zzPZA/s320/IMG_0456.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The check-in desk at the medical center</td></tr>
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There were three centers that the kids went to. The first housed nurses measuring children's height and weight; the next held an ENT checking ears, nose, throat, and eyes; and the last held two doctors who gave her a quick physical. In this last check, we asked the doctor's about Chloe's skin since she appears to have some scarring, and as we suspected, she had scabies (in the past) and those were left over scars. They also checked her heart and said that all sounded well. Our ticket out was then a TB test where a nurse stuck a needle with active TB virus under the children's skin. Chloe whimpered a little, but she was a good girl.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A snack after the TB test...such a good girl</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the examination rooms</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBc5ITpVK5NnMVRzPdKR0asPawJUHdOoBMbaGT2DWdBnP7h6b29Xw7UGWb-KjzslNrI1Q27efN6svMkbx3TmCHH8brF_3YdqQwtP5815IfYEmEWay_q1YlntnvFNNMkJlg97HblN25BQ/s1600/IMG_0461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBc5ITpVK5NnMVRzPdKR0asPawJUHdOoBMbaGT2DWdBnP7h6b29Xw7UGWb-KjzslNrI1Q27efN6svMkbx3TmCHH8brF_3YdqQwtP5815IfYEmEWay_q1YlntnvFNNMkJlg97HblN25BQ/s320/IMG_0461.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The nurse who measured her height and weight</td></tr>
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After the medical exam, we went back to the hotel, had lunch, took a nap, and then went to the play area on the fourth floor. Chloe's favorite activity was definitely the swings, and she made her Baba push her for at least one-half hour.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe enjoying the swings</td></tr>
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The play area is located in a little man-made oasis on the fourth floor of the hotel. It has small ponds, a beautiful gazebo, and even a waterfall.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQnu34oCsGua2ArnXiNBKvG6hCkuS8Qx3NDZ6K2flqiwHkiF92lB2TjLwIN4CDiJPjZWVD2BZUj5urk4YUASkGr6swh2n552ZurN57dBwy74ngA9qojD0AHmywDDRe_zAjiJZ2pT6sQ/s1600/IMG_0467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQnu34oCsGua2ArnXiNBKvG6hCkuS8Qx3NDZ6K2flqiwHkiF92lB2TjLwIN4CDiJPjZWVD2BZUj5urk4YUASkGr6swh2n552ZurN57dBwy74ngA9qojD0AHmywDDRe_zAjiJZ2pT6sQ/s320/IMG_0467.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view from the play area</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqf0pXumf85Xxf49_7fYMLlzh12vYvmxIngtWFLYv_VOkyPcGd-o0ZbDR05HXbKq_H9flrhPhxpQdm_3WcW1TKXj87lx8UZvWkQFcu3xb2BYr9mrzoB8al3_VvipmTYeaoqUDeWzxiZg/s1600/IMG_0468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqf0pXumf85Xxf49_7fYMLlzh12vYvmxIngtWFLYv_VOkyPcGd-o0ZbDR05HXbKq_H9flrhPhxpQdm_3WcW1TKXj87lx8UZvWkQFcu3xb2BYr9mrzoB8al3_VvipmTYeaoqUDeWzxiZg/s320/IMG_0468.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think I'll bring my Kindle and read here while Chloe naps tomorrow.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xIQaBw_TLu4W9YYeaqhsMLaAgz9KtR7wvL_V4-RWrfg0QFRKbbwkofupYmtpXLr_K3ntYmhlI6_3tzM5NCHg9W6_KB5fsb2QrIwqZqyNy2iHtXUbCK_sCZVitiFnxbIKhdcZgjtHqQ/s1600/IMG_0471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xIQaBw_TLu4W9YYeaqhsMLaAgz9KtR7wvL_V4-RWrfg0QFRKbbwkofupYmtpXLr_K3ntYmhlI6_3tzM5NCHg9W6_KB5fsb2QrIwqZqyNy2iHtXUbCK_sCZVitiFnxbIKhdcZgjtHqQ/s320/IMG_0471.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sitting by the waterfall</td></tr>
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We are truly enjoying the hotel and its amenities. (Having actual air condition is a plus. In Hefei, we had a thermostat, but we think it was just a prop. No air ever circulated from the vents.)</div>
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Also, Guangzhou is such a beautiful city. It's much more lush and tropical than Beijing or Hefei. It is also much more Westernized. There are adoptive families everywhere, and we don't feel like such outsiders.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXSAxPktZO-0Dl5n07S_82Rr6G9Oh5qIX5nQdVoip1B_gAuG5-ZkkVHYDXvuDRuEWjOieLXCrKT-cPoo3UnE046hBS4izohAAfvGaz47sJ949HEQI_9km_8Ed7sTuHkEd07KuPX8Ug-A/s1600/IMG_0453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXSAxPktZO-0Dl5n07S_82Rr6G9Oh5qIX5nQdVoip1B_gAuG5-ZkkVHYDXvuDRuEWjOieLXCrKT-cPoo3UnE046hBS4izohAAfvGaz47sJ949HEQI_9km_8Ed7sTuHkEd07KuPX8Ug-A/s320/IMG_0453.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guangzhou is definitely a big city.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTpA1MSX-SqCs1VXWJt3Ufm10RzWtHN0it9t9kqbrmpNxXAbqae1gd4D0LYLcAm7blK_keJpXit32lYEg0ygIFRRxhpFHztiIsShRPPS_ufNoL2W4UbNuzgckL6VXEqq-kN7wqzNWBA/s1600/IMG_0454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTpA1MSX-SqCs1VXWJt3Ufm10RzWtHN0it9t9kqbrmpNxXAbqae1gd4D0LYLcAm7blK_keJpXit32lYEg0ygIFRRxhpFHztiIsShRPPS_ufNoL2W4UbNuzgckL6VXEqq-kN7wqzNWBA/s320/IMG_0454.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">However, lush trees and other foliage line the streets.</td></tr>
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Chloe is continuing to make great progress. Today, she stayed with Tim twice in the room while I took care of some things and one whimpered a little when I left before she and Tim played. She also allowed her Baba to give her a piggy back ride in public.<br />
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Tomorrow is one of our down days, and we're planning on meeting Ann, a shopping guru that has been highly recommended, tomorrow morning with Karen and her crew and shop for great deals. I'm thinking pearls, squeaky shoes, good knock-offs, and kid souvenirs. <br />
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Hope everyone has a great day!<br />
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<br /></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-11775005742175242812012-03-30T08:05:00.000-07:002012-03-30T08:05:29.350-07:00We're in Guangzhou!I just wanted to let everyone know that we made it safely to Guangzhou tonight. The China Hotel is beautiful and we're settling in. The flight with Chloe was exhausting. She had to go to the bathroom 5, yes 5, times during the course of the 2 hour flight.<br />
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I'll post more tomorrow. I am just too tired tonight.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-19573581568882220792012-03-29T06:49:00.002-07:002012-03-29T06:50:03.941-07:00A Day at the Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Even though we had no where to go and nothing to do, today was a good day. After breakfast, we decided that we definitely needed to do some laundry before we left for Guangzhou. We packed light, expecting to be able to send laundry out here, but Jane, our guide, informed us that the only laundry service was dry cleaning and it was very expensive. Although I did a "load" when we came to Hefei, today I had a special helper.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsHXtNiLD-Xx8lnwtVr9IqXI4K5X07A25fZAVOx8CX49w7ktEPWyaxRyNEm-wlpGrW3VplasmxH6HkG_QhvL0RcIGukstVYodVtkL-Sc0pxDLzXf_t4IQF79gfLocVgXyHVBc7cz8IZA/s1600/IMG_0413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsHXtNiLD-Xx8lnwtVr9IqXI4K5X07A25fZAVOx8CX49w7ktEPWyaxRyNEm-wlpGrW3VplasmxH6HkG_QhvL0RcIGukstVYodVtkL-Sc0pxDLzXf_t4IQF79gfLocVgXyHVBc7cz8IZA/s320/IMG_0413.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was clear that Chloe knew how to do this since she gave me pointers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "'wash woman" at work</td></tr>
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Next, we headed to a local park, just a block from our hotel. It was beautiful with an interesting piece of art at its center, a detailed wall of art, and trimmed hedges.</div>
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The day was a little foggy...or hazy...or both, but there were many people around, and we attracted a lot of attention. School kids on their way to lunch would say 'hello' and when we said it back, they would giggle. A grandma and her grandchild played ball with Chloe in the square, and an older woman and her posse by the playground and ping pong tables gave us a lesson in Chinese. She was very nice, friendly, and outgoing, reminding me of a teacher, as she talked to Chloe and taught Tim and me words she felt were important for us to know (family, daughter, etc.). We also met a lovely young woman who works in Beijing, but is visiting here. She interpreted a little for us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two boys kicked the ball around with Chloe a little. She actually preferred kicking it to them than to me....I think she was flirting.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This woman and her grandchild also played ball with Chloe. That ball is probably the best $1 I spent.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "teacher" and her playground posse. Tim and I decided that she must spend time at the park each day.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lovely, young woman who interpreted a little for us</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our "teacher" playing ping pong with the kids in the park. The bike behind her is hers and holds a bag that is filled with toys for the park. She offered a few to Chloe.</td></tr>
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In the afternoon, we joined our friends Karen, Zoey, and Jenna for dinner. We were supposed to have a nice sit-down dinner, but Chloe had other plans. She certainly was feeling her oats this evening and we decided that McDonalds would be a better place for us. It's interesting. She treats her Baba much better in the hotel room than in the great outdoors. I know that it will change though soon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the first time Chloe wanted to join Jenna and Zoey in their fun. She is becoming more and more comfortable.</td></tr>
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When we returned to the hotel room, Tim offered Chloe piggy back rides in exchange for kisses...and she accepted. It was wonderful to see her playing with him. Then, I taught her to do summersaults and she probably did around 50 before we told her it was time for bed. <br />
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Highlights from our day:</div>
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<ol>
<li>Tim taught Chloe how to play hide n' seek this morning. She LOVED it!</li>
<li>Kisses for piggy back rides...too sweet!</li>
<li>Meeting the locals was so much fun. One of the men mentioned how free we are in America.</li>
<li>Chloe is using a much softer voice today...and hopefully not cursing...although I did hear the sailor song again at times.</li>
<li>She is coming out of her shell more and more...and is showing her sense of humor and stubbornness.</li>
<li>She continues to eat EVERYTHING. I already think she's gained weight. Karen commented how much better her skin/coloring looked today.</li>
</ol>
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Tomorrow afternoon we fly to Guangzhou, the last leg of our incredible journey. I look forward to meeting up with our travel group from Beijing and seeing their beautiful children. Hope everyone has a great day!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-47233162535109772782012-03-28T06:15:00.000-07:002012-03-28T06:15:35.975-07:00A Fun DayWe made great strides with Chloe today. We started off the morning with a dance party. Chloe particularly likes the Jackson 5 and Jimmy Buffet.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe loved when I twirled her round and round to the music.</td></tr>
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We then went to the zoo with our friends, Karen, Jenna, and Zoey. It was a fairly nice zoo, though small, and had a good selection of animals.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were many baby animals there.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Various species of monkeys made up the majority of animals on display.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were two huge hippos on display. One, who was eating right by a chain link gate, you could reach out and touch...but we didn't.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The panda was napping inside its enclosure.</td></tr>
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I loved people watching while we were there...and I'm sure some of the local people liked people watching us too. Chloe received many smiles when we were there. In particular, two elderly Chinese men came up to talk to her.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">People were resting underneath trees and having lunch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the school group that Chloe wanted to join.</td></tr>
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Close to the end of our zoo journey, we bought Chloe and Zoey bubble blowers. Squeezing the trigger not only produced a great amount of bubbles, but it also played a lovely tune...that we heard all the way home.<br />
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Even though we had to rush to catch the van taking us back to the hotel, we had a great time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7oHZcv0RJP4UjaXtlmbU5w68ICwW5jtDJlRl7Upjfdd9Bvv6xHwJl66yz_1CX-kcKuzO-cw7L2JOKdpkJ_Y79DS5XaXg27s2anzzHIjGFsokBwR148zznpOvd1Z0blfnZK9-AYbjQA/s1600/IMG_0346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7oHZcv0RJP4UjaXtlmbU5w68ICwW5jtDJlRl7Upjfdd9Bvv6xHwJl66yz_1CX-kcKuzO-cw7L2JOKdpkJ_Y79DS5XaXg27s2anzzHIjGFsokBwR148zznpOvd1Z0blfnZK9-AYbjQA/s320/IMG_0346.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe allowed her Baba to push her all through the zoo.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tfa69vm9Kp0MJsQLCZCVHVuNrnsSeeKxIM3PCbO6ApJhtGKTu2lpXtZFnBLPVFXMLVGROMRxDx26pcuk81N1-nvyQNXioBiBY1CYtzeOBW6XtOyGlAX-C19JTynyid2Wk3pl9LmCug/s1600/IMG_0347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tfa69vm9Kp0MJsQLCZCVHVuNrnsSeeKxIM3PCbO6ApJhtGKTu2lpXtZFnBLPVFXMLVGROMRxDx26pcuk81N1-nvyQNXioBiBY1CYtzeOBW6XtOyGlAX-C19JTynyid2Wk3pl9LmCug/s320/IMG_0347.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had a great time with Karen, Zoey, and Jenna.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MFC0MpjbRXK_0cwkLpkda5XJYMQhjlJspsw1T7TIk2Nj2YdHqHCn2qpZZaWITuSvpgxSE__6UmnVGeI0T_2qKspg-0O-pKHxzsq6z6BbmOyAKvPe8B5EOhap-WYCd5rT6RfaRYtz2Q/s1600/IMG_0371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MFC0MpjbRXK_0cwkLpkda5XJYMQhjlJspsw1T7TIk2Nj2YdHqHCn2qpZZaWITuSvpgxSE__6UmnVGeI0T_2qKspg-0O-pKHxzsq6z6BbmOyAKvPe8B5EOhap-WYCd5rT6RfaRYtz2Q/s320/IMG_0371.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe with the panda in the background.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When we returned to the hotel, we ate and Chloe and I caught a nap. Then, it was off to the pool for more water splashing and hair washing. Chloe still did not leave my lap, but she definitely enjoyed it. Then, since Zoey had refused to bathe, we decided to give the girls a bath together. They loved it and played and played. I'm surprised they weren't shriveled up prunes when we took them out; they were in the tub for over an hour.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNIH2l9-kcHRigtsAhaakAWphqcXTVuMKpsw3tgeE_O2zEWFatwMIVLsOfj0MO-rjt06eVQxBbeGhIfALhdL5MhfxecFggLymdarUG8KX3OzJtru1OBQaAV306FXQ5aoY78cVt5QJJA/s1600/IMG_0406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNIH2l9-kcHRigtsAhaakAWphqcXTVuMKpsw3tgeE_O2zEWFatwMIVLsOfj0MO-rjt06eVQxBbeGhIfALhdL5MhfxecFggLymdarUG8KX3OzJtru1OBQaAV306FXQ5aoY78cVt5QJJA/s320/IMG_0406.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoey giving me the unsure look while Chloe smiles on...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw23XWsicv9rs0cIEvTcrSQn_X3Olo70lOTkWTZXFlJY7ocuH1jwcgWPmfCjlMxnvMQ6Tpn6Q_Wuaz9V1Vi59JgHUF7TMdIM4VJAOoANxvZy22Z8LkRa_9YaNnPiO6m4HFbsIr5ZgtMg/s1600/IMG_0411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw23XWsicv9rs0cIEvTcrSQn_X3Olo70lOTkWTZXFlJY7ocuH1jwcgWPmfCjlMxnvMQ6Tpn6Q_Wuaz9V1Vi59JgHUF7TMdIM4VJAOoANxvZy22Z8LkRa_9YaNnPiO6m4HFbsIr5ZgtMg/s320/IMG_0411.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They had a great time filling small cups full of water and dumping them on each other.</td></tr>
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Tonight, we stayed in and ordered room service and then just hung out in the room. Below are some of the Chloe highlights from today. Mostly they involve her warming up to Tim.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>She took Baba's hand and danced with him this morning.</li>
<li>We brought a beach ball that Tim blew up. The two of them batted it around the room.</li>
<li>Chloe allowed Tim to take her to get food at the buffet this morning...and held his hand.</li>
<li>We received a lot less "boo gaas" today (meaning "I don't want that" or "I don't want to do that")</li>
<li>Chloe told Tim "wa eye ne" (I love you.) at least twice today.</li>
</ol>
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Tomorrow will be another down time day as we wait for Chloe's passport to be processed. We have decided not to visit her orphanage because our guide suggests that we do not take her back there to help ensure that she continues to make progress.<br />
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<br />Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-41166296977484153422012-03-27T06:35:00.004-07:002012-03-27T07:12:29.314-07:00Making It OfficialThis morning we loaded the bus again for the CCWA office in order to make everything official. There, we met again with the orphanage director and notary, exchanged appropriate funds and swore that we will love our daughter forever and never abandon her. We had our first official picture as a family and Chloe officially became a Watkins.<br />
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<div>
While this should have been an overall happy meeting, I have to tell you that I have mixed feelings about it. Although the signing of the paperwork, picture taking, and swearing in was all good, I think it was strange to meet the orphanage officials again...in the same place as yesterday. It had to make Chloe feel confused. I wonder if she thought we were bringing her back. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgho8PUZBLYRDNfzZM_r_Bd_HSVGJmKyZhU-BXSw8Dcir3CBZ_i0rk6qdejlHik8M6QLbPEDgDuy5heuTMo7orkgNl7XJbt6iSSZyYoY8e5eecCrsMjHqcZf9yJ1b680MjAhmaT3UDIgQ/s1600/IMG_0332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgho8PUZBLYRDNfzZM_r_Bd_HSVGJmKyZhU-BXSw8Dcir3CBZ_i0rk6qdejlHik8M6QLbPEDgDuy5heuTMo7orkgNl7XJbt6iSSZyYoY8e5eecCrsMjHqcZf9yJ1b680MjAhmaT3UDIgQ/s320/IMG_0332.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe and the Huainan orphanage director</td></tr>
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In addition, I truly did not enjoy the exchange of money...especially in front of the children. While I know this is an important step in helping the orphanage take care of the children, I just felt strange.</div>
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When we returned to the hotel, we had a nice lunch and visit with Jane, our guide. She informed us that Chloe was actually cursing in a song she was singing at the CCWA. Although she assured us that she wasn't cursing at anyone, Jane was upset that she was doing this and told the orphanage not to use her foster family any more. She also did not like some of the behaviors she was exhibiting, like hitting and kicking. She said that she had seen many children from her orphanage do the same. Basically, she said she was unrefined (like an eastern Kentucky/West Virginia coal miner's girl...no offense, her city is known for coal mining) and would need time to learn appropriate behaviors. Tim and I decided that we have adopted Chloe, the jungle girl (like Bindi, the jungle girl), and she will need just a lot of love and direction. She's already making great strides.</div>
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After Jane's visit and finishing lunch, we headed for the pool. I wish I would have brought my camera because Chloe loved the water. Although she never left my lap, she stayed and played, kicking the water and leaning over to wet her hair. When we went back to the room, she wanted to take a bath, so I put her in the tub. She washes herself as an old woman would, scrubbing her skin with the wash cloth. However, I finally got her to sit down in the tub. (I think she must have previously stood in the river, bucket, etc. to take a bath.) She absolutely loved it. Then, she took a nice, long nap. We had to wake her after 1 1/2 hours. We definitely want her to sleep tonight!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZKepMxvrPboUP9nsIOi1nqMBFadIqyEiVqCYwiS4r3sDhhLze8cDSBlA0isCS4_DlY2dvHKhfcfgUWEDtJyPRAF8daTDzXybJxJMHNIoxMr-NBA9u1exaEqtn8kbxgHAdRMX_sv5yg/s1600/IMG_0334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZKepMxvrPboUP9nsIOi1nqMBFadIqyEiVqCYwiS4r3sDhhLze8cDSBlA0isCS4_DlY2dvHKhfcfgUWEDtJyPRAF8daTDzXybJxJMHNIoxMr-NBA9u1exaEqtn8kbxgHAdRMX_sv5yg/s320/IMG_0334.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying bath time</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9sl3BK-daSVZ4gz9gz-fpv26VU2x_GveZoT4c9yBV7NflKMsuEPh0YH4OYpcGIDc-SmUE2b9nkKZWjJAK1uPVopjULtmttn7H2pbj_sG7ZiPI04vUGQ29HQxt7N6rxDA6XKsXafphw/s1600/IMG_0337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9sl3BK-daSVZ4gz9gz-fpv26VU2x_GveZoT4c9yBV7NflKMsuEPh0YH4OYpcGIDc-SmUE2b9nkKZWjJAK1uPVopjULtmttn7H2pbj_sG7ZiPI04vUGQ29HQxt7N6rxDA6XKsXafphw/s320/IMG_0337.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a nice, long nap</td></tr>
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<div>
After that, we topped our evening off with our daily trip to the mall and Walmart with our friends, Karen, Jenna and Zoey. We decided that we needed some American food, so we ate at McDonalds and then had ice cream from Dairy Queen.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9fPrlVk8t57aa0E4HdJifiVTGxTquuwjfMDBzYT4LwzNr-AsEeyCX25AlWwVf1SGSozhdq7qavdYwhB1mLSuQl1WwFMGBEzLvu8eLj04uXVTXMAuLmNE35CBjlatqglb0P4h4cJUNw/s1600/IMG_0338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9fPrlVk8t57aa0E4HdJifiVTGxTquuwjfMDBzYT4LwzNr-AsEeyCX25AlWwVf1SGSozhdq7qavdYwhB1mLSuQl1WwFMGBEzLvu8eLj04uXVTXMAuLmNE35CBjlatqglb0P4h4cJUNw/s320/IMG_0338.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken nuggets and fries....YUM!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqh5QKwwCkiVJbjUDanGHD4d8bdb6WBMSovx5dqX2KfyI-JZ3su0qKOhhY5ZMMrQstZuVm1AuozOu6gdyykRVEetE-rHSMOmbWXJgK5ULZv9s4DDFGtVGAm7dfMycDzjExgQhYL2RTg/s1600/IMG_0339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqh5QKwwCkiVJbjUDanGHD4d8bdb6WBMSovx5dqX2KfyI-JZ3su0qKOhhY5ZMMrQstZuVm1AuozOu6gdyykRVEetE-rHSMOmbWXJgK5ULZv9s4DDFGtVGAm7dfMycDzjExgQhYL2RTg/s320/IMG_0339.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I guess loving ice cream is universal.</td></tr>
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<div>
Below are a few things we noticed about Chloe today.</div>
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<div>
<ol>
<li>She still eats EVERYTHING and wants to make sure she has access to food all the time.</li>
<li>She likes to bring all of her toys into bed with her when she sleeps.</li>
<li>She woke me up sweetly at 3:30 this morning, rubbing my leg, to tell me she had to go to the bathroom.</li>
<li>For most of the day, she still did not want Tim to touch her, but the two had a beautiful moment before bed where she was talking and playing with him. He was holding her hand, and she allowed him to change her shirt when she spilled water on it.</li>
<li>She demanded that I carry her all 3.5 blocks from the mall tonight and sang the entire way. I'm not sure if it involved curse words or not.</li>
<li>I have a feeling that she will be another "fish" like her brother, Kaleb. She wanted to get back in the tub after we returned home from the mall.</li>
<li>I received numerous kisses and hugs today.</li>
</ol>
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<div>
Tomorrow is one of our free days, so we're heading to the zoo with Karen and her crew. It's supposed to be 75 degrees here, so it should be a nice day.</div>
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I hope everyone is doing well. We LOVE reading your words of encouragement....Please keep them coming. </div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-78888950356679480802012-03-26T05:46:00.002-07:002012-03-26T05:46:37.934-07:00Gotcha Day!Neither Tim nor I slept well last night, anticipating our newest daughter's arrival. Labor for her only lasted almost five years. :)<div>
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<div>
We met all of the families in the lobby of our hotel at 9:15. There are two families from the Netherlands, Karen and her daughter, another family from Alabama, and us. We all had the same look on our faces: joy, anticipation, and a little fear. Jane met us in the lobby and told us we were going to the CCAA offices to meet our daughters. She wasn't sure which orphanages were coming first since many traveled distances to get to Hefei to meet us.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02IGLxH1fmFBKDAHbDO9d5JkGtHOY6UcdN3CG6QJ2ArK4F4XTth2KR33sskb-iFwSbUvm3PjCEB90fGM6s5sDQfQe4uX9v7dzIlwCcq0Lngv-UiTFDp1nYMWe6OFYbVFlWeJII5tZsQ/s1600/IMG_0255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02IGLxH1fmFBKDAHbDO9d5JkGtHOY6UcdN3CG6QJ2ArK4F4XTth2KR33sskb-iFwSbUvm3PjCEB90fGM6s5sDQfQe4uX9v7dzIlwCcq0Lngv-UiTFDp1nYMWe6OFYbVFlWeJII5tZsQ/s320/IMG_0255.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jane explaining the agenda of the day to us</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjkXMzqkPNMCJ8lsayS8FSS-aAm4BOBl0F4cJ67uhe8Qn7DPNLAfd3h75T8XxhECzMJoTMr4ToC9z5f7BDpRBC5hNfBTPpeo9SKJpZGh-ZEoDXrHrdh_E1t-a58Npmd_jBi2o69-veg/s1600/IMG_0256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjkXMzqkPNMCJ8lsayS8FSS-aAm4BOBl0F4cJ67uhe8Qn7DPNLAfd3h75T8XxhECzMJoTMr4ToC9z5f7BDpRBC5hNfBTPpeo9SKJpZGh-ZEoDXrHrdh_E1t-a58Npmd_jBi2o69-veg/s320/IMG_0256.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front of the CCWA building</td></tr>
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<div>
When we arrived at the CCWA, we were escorted to a small conference room on one of the top floors. We all crowded in and a couple of the children were waiting to meet their families. Then, in walked Chloe "Cong" with the orphanage director and three other Huainan children, one who met her family today, and the other two who will meet their families tomorrow.</div>
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After seeing her, we introduced ourselves and handed her the backpack that the kids helped me fill.<br />
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Chloe appeared happy and sat and played with both Tim and me.</div>
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She became a little unsure of everything when the orphanage director, nanny, and her friends were leaving, but one of our guides explained to her that we again were her Mama and Baba and she was going with us. </div>
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The trip back to the hotel went well and she adjusted fairly well to her new surroundings...until Tim left to exchange some money. This was the first of her two melt downs concerning her Baba leaving and her staying. She pulled on her shoes, put on her coat, and attempted to leave with him. When I wouldn't let her, she cried and called for Baba until he returned.</div>
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We also could not take any clothes off of her; she wouldn't let us. Hefei was relatively warm today (in the 70s) and she had on long under ware, a long sleeve shirt, thick pants, snow boats, and a heavy jacket. It wasn't until our guide came in and talked to her that she agreed to take her coat off. We then presented her with a new outfit, and she then gladly stripped down for us in exchange for her new outfit. (What girl doesn't like new clothes?) She then informed Jane, our guide, that she wanted new shoes too.</div>
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Inspecting her tiny body (She is very tiny and undernourished.), I noticed approximately seven layers of caked dirt on her. When Jane asked if she'd like to bathe, she told her that she bathed yesterday and she would do it again tomorrow. (Yea, right.) She was so dirty that her neck itched. Jane and I tried to wash her a little with a wash cloth and water, but she definitely needed more. However, I resolved to give it some time.</div>
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We took a trip to Walmart and bought her pink new shoes that she picked out and bananas and apples (two fruits suggested for the kids). Then, we headed back to the hotel and I coerced her into a bath. I just had to remove at least the first layer of dirt from her. We then ate at the hotel's buffet and came back to the room to talk with family. She had a lively conversation with Hannah, her older sister, blowing her kisses, waving, and giving her the thumbs up. Shortly after, she fell asleep.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwH99jMFspEJjHcaB4KrkhW3C3vIyQqAFCWWmQmKwp7rii4HA0zNvKxYU9fa7SgDF1eAcH6U3po3hMtVh-1kiweKyzPqMhCOKsGhwTqH3xZPj5QQOodHJOzMVOlgzdw4XDBukUR8HImw/s1600/IMG_0321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwH99jMFspEJjHcaB4KrkhW3C3vIyQqAFCWWmQmKwp7rii4HA0zNvKxYU9fa7SgDF1eAcH6U3po3hMtVh-1kiweKyzPqMhCOKsGhwTqH3xZPj5QQOodHJOzMVOlgzdw4XDBukUR8HImw/s320/IMG_0321.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe, asleep after looking at the photo album of her new family</td></tr>
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Here are my few observations about her from today.</div>
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<ol>
<li>There are two things she did incessantly: talk and eat. I do not think her speech problem is a big issue. Most people understood her...including her new parents.</li>
<li>She wanted to eat ALL...THE...TIME. We finally had to hide food/take it away from her.</li>
<li>She acts more like an orphanage kid than a foster care kid in some ways, hoarding food and her things. This could be though because she doesn't trust her situation and us completely yet.</li>
<li>When she gets tired of walking, she turns her feet out like a ballerina. She has no meat on her bones, so I'm not sure if this is due to her lack of body fat.</li>
<li>She is a girl who definitely knows what she wants and how to ask for it. We had several demands throughout the day.</li>
<li>She definitely wants me more than Tim at this point. She wants me to pick her up, cuddle her, etc. However, she likes her Baba to be close by.</li>
<li>I received three BIG kisses and many hugs...the sweetest part of my day.</li>
</ol>
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Hope all is good with everyone on your side of the world. Tomorrow she will become officially ours. We can't wait!</div>
</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-1356236108209394122012-03-25T16:22:00.002-07:002012-03-25T16:22:36.364-07:00Thank you all for your encouraging posts!Thank you so much for leaving words of encouragement and kindness to us on our journey. While I don't have time right now to respond to everyone individually, know that both Tim and I read them all and really appreciate your thoughts. It makes us feel closer to home.<br />
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I can't wait to share about today...our BEST day in China. :)Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-11385963072083797462012-03-25T04:02:00.000-07:002012-03-25T04:11:30.572-07:00We're Not in Beijing AnymoreToday, we left for Hefei, the capitol of Chloe's province, Anhui. We met in the lobby of the hotel at 8:00 a.m. and all of the families that we toured with, four total including us, plus another family that just joined our group shared a bus to the airport. Now, this was the same bus that we took when we toured Beijing, perfect for four or five families, but not so perfect for five families with luggage.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9Ab1IM1CTuBCdZGvWV_HucP68rf_rLGfS5XnpZya7la6ML8sH44bbyMvKNqcjJSxR0nyRG_cyDir3OHUAf8eV89OqcIU4OUcRv383OfEntLRY5xd3QZrTc3lXLbzkdl2MdsrYgXnoA/s1600/IMG_0236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9Ab1IM1CTuBCdZGvWV_HucP68rf_rLGfS5XnpZya7la6ML8sH44bbyMvKNqcjJSxR0nyRG_cyDir3OHUAf8eV89OqcIU4OUcRv383OfEntLRY5xd3QZrTc3lXLbzkdl2MdsrYgXnoA/s320/IMG_0236.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is a shot of our luggage, with Jenna to the left and Amy to the right, before we loaded the bus.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGBX3Lx2qbpj6xb81W2TxMg6uF9t9z_1XWu66_t05hjzqDNmNB4iK2mLUfuiE4Gwh6FUTZh1256Ha6EU_TnDnAgB1JXPfbpWljGn2LCqZedef6dC2BoFLz0MeNn4VQCDREnFyhAhvIw/s1600/IMG_0237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGBX3Lx2qbpj6xb81W2TxMg6uF9t9z_1XWu66_t05hjzqDNmNB4iK2mLUfuiE4Gwh6FUTZh1256Ha6EU_TnDnAgB1JXPfbpWljGn2LCqZedef6dC2BoFLz0MeNn4VQCDREnFyhAhvIw/s320/IMG_0237.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is all of our luggage piled into the first two rows of seats on the bus. Note: the bus driver, whom we never saw after he entered the bus, is in front of all the luggage.</td></tr>
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<div>
Amazingly, we made it safely to the airport, abet the bus driver not being able to see out the rear view mirror (I'm not sure they use these anyway in China.) and a couple people sharing seats. It was sad to say goodbye to some of the families, but I am excited to see them in Guangzhou with their new children.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIvc0BsM4PXFUQIwGKW8H6ooFQpef3X0xdQo41KuB8SupAkzNqzSgzfcvuJ2FzIjr1CX7mpqK8wj-M1uL9dTrDRl79nO80-obx9QSkZvdMhEmM578GU6O1nnIIxTctKQmRCJ5s0DB6oA/s1600/IMG_0238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIvc0BsM4PXFUQIwGKW8H6ooFQpef3X0xdQo41KuB8SupAkzNqzSgzfcvuJ2FzIjr1CX7mpqK8wj-M1uL9dTrDRl79nO80-obx9QSkZvdMhEmM578GU6O1nnIIxTctKQmRCJ5s0DB6oA/s320/IMG_0238.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a picture of the back of the bus. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKZ_A8A0Xw7jO0YYEz9d_qkn3bXZMC8vtY6XTwvHi7B12BPlpr-pRMIF2_IMw-euas8TfEjICxFdWxXU5An4lBghmVQRa4-IFtApb7bT4eZBm78mkFCbZg8MaC0rXPRYgHxVsnF_HKg/s1600/IMG_0241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKZ_A8A0Xw7jO0YYEz9d_qkn3bXZMC8vtY6XTwvHi7B12BPlpr-pRMIF2_IMw-euas8TfEjICxFdWxXU5An4lBghmVQRa4-IFtApb7bT4eZBm78mkFCbZg8MaC0rXPRYgHxVsnF_HKg/s320/IMG_0241.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In addition to saying goodbye to some of the families we met, we also had to say goodbye to Cindy, our fabulous guide.</td></tr>
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Our flight on China Eastern was only two hours, but they served us a hot lunch. It was basically uneventful other than having an obnoxious European sitting close to us. He complained about everything.</div>
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When we arrived in Hefei, Jean/Jane was there to greet us. We are not quite sure which name she goes by yet, but both are listed on the paperwork we have. She was very nice, helping us check in and prepare paperwork for "gotcha" day tomorrow.</div>
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The Holiday Inn in downtown Hefei is very nice. The rooms are spacious and there is a pool on the sixth floor.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzikdy2jg2w7r2ZpjpJnzQ2Mw0PICcqujy4f67-cvHARyBr-_1LPAPMy3i4hc65wuXNmN8e1tLbMzACgTTF7Tq4OLJAduZ80yZ4dxSbjwhxJOqkS29k9wA1E4Kf_OITCmzWtm01RjZZw/s1600/IMG_0242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzikdy2jg2w7r2ZpjpJnzQ2Mw0PICcqujy4f67-cvHARyBr-_1LPAPMy3i4hc65wuXNmN8e1tLbMzACgTTF7Tq4OLJAduZ80yZ4dxSbjwhxJOqkS29k9wA1E4Kf_OITCmzWtm01RjZZw/s320/IMG_0242.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tried to get a picture of the room before the beds were sat on, but it didn't happen.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7SW9VWv3XIjmtPcigxiB4v2oFosYQY__MsXARLJb1yLH7mr5w8O4_Y8ky5RqPbk4kWLkazbrgGyEj96Wra6KcBCN9tLfuLZ_3UUeLOFvP0KiAIdSDMS5Sz6rmVM7iLlE_3-83SoMCw/s1600/IMG_0243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7SW9VWv3XIjmtPcigxiB4v2oFosYQY__MsXARLJb1yLH7mr5w8O4_Y8ky5RqPbk4kWLkazbrgGyEj96Wra6KcBCN9tLfuLZ_3UUeLOFvP0KiAIdSDMS5Sz6rmVM7iLlE_3-83SoMCw/s320/IMG_0243.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was a young Chinese girl swimming when we went to check out the pool. She did not know what to think of us.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19zT6dqRwaOmchFz4Ll8QSRutCmOM-ah0CWXZGNp61loQzVYrZ_buPFKZ6lBj01c8KC0R5bmm18QKR9ZqxnkpF6yqH9OA-UbENSXceS-LbIsOe7RlDVnh-6muJPPygrjPIaOofwlNLg/s1600/IMG_0245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19zT6dqRwaOmchFz4Ll8QSRutCmOM-ah0CWXZGNp61loQzVYrZ_buPFKZ6lBj01c8KC0R5bmm18QKR9ZqxnkpF6yqH9OA-UbENSXceS-LbIsOe7RlDVnh-6muJPPygrjPIaOofwlNLg/s320/IMG_0245.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hotel from the street</td></tr>
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After we settled in, we joined Karen and her daughter, Jenna, for a walk to Walmart and a mall a few blocks down the street. One of the biggest differences I noticed between Beijing and Hefei is the number of foreigners. In Beijing there were many; in Hefei there appears to be very few. We did receive a few stares and not many people spoke English. Next time when we go out, I'll definitely bring my translation app or book.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74otILrtqF_GysSZ-vz-zMPgu-ueztn0V7xwLMCfGjPp9zufjO_DIp_ViEBZNnCa-zrs9eD6GkZYB6kBI20daKOXAFUdIlxzlNC0bvHVKJUbsUkwkyXYBlrkoeJbQeS8DjQQ7Xn913w/s1600/IMG_0246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74otILrtqF_GysSZ-vz-zMPgu-ueztn0V7xwLMCfGjPp9zufjO_DIp_ViEBZNnCa-zrs9eD6GkZYB6kBI20daKOXAFUdIlxzlNC0bvHVKJUbsUkwkyXYBlrkoeJbQeS8DjQQ7Xn913w/s320/IMG_0246.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many high rises that houses apartments for Hefei's residents. In this picture, the water looks relatively clean, but in reality it's a lovely shade of unnatural green.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThcgzOaJAJs85jBujMQNuDlPHINStaXvPMUaO5CoZh3prjOdg0DKBg3P439VPwVZxS9iIj1-zfFUZfCMILB7zbupwfdVQEoSn-4c_VClwRJuvSP8ppr-tAkzsuGdFq17hE6Towo1ckw/s1600/IMG_0247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThcgzOaJAJs85jBujMQNuDlPHINStaXvPMUaO5CoZh3prjOdg0DKBg3P439VPwVZxS9iIj1-zfFUZfCMILB7zbupwfdVQEoSn-4c_VClwRJuvSP8ppr-tAkzsuGdFq17hE6Towo1ckw/s320/IMG_0247.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim, Jenna, and Karen on our way to shop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxmne0qegzrArPTvr8_XWs59yKDndDfn8sikfYXEUaSoe_Y2IUZRIgpnE1ZNJey6M3SVAiE5S2cnWjVWCRPVTax8RFgH3KHfYJWVoWIyQ5Oi5Q2tqG12eFcpq5qlE2KDsPMy4207dMQ/s1600/IMG_0248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxmne0qegzrArPTvr8_XWs59yKDndDfn8sikfYXEUaSoe_Y2IUZRIgpnE1ZNJey6M3SVAiE5S2cnWjVWCRPVTax8RFgH3KHfYJWVoWIyQ5Oi5Q2tqG12eFcpq5qlE2KDsPMy4207dMQ/s320/IMG_0248.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the front of the mall. Walmart is on the corner; notice the advertisement with Nicholas Cage as the star.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJL18iarbEM-ATWbyXU9PLUscsHpywdMfzsPVrvOkR0dn3_HxjnDDNLhYJ5zZ1eXWriDv174_kzUioo8sZIJ6NUcHyZvLxxUYpeunNjppIUJgILZf0nxlbQRLBFH8DklipC0N6_NBWg/s1600/IMG_0250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJL18iarbEM-ATWbyXU9PLUscsHpywdMfzsPVrvOkR0dn3_HxjnDDNLhYJ5zZ1eXWriDv174_kzUioo8sZIJ6NUcHyZvLxxUYpeunNjppIUJgILZf0nxlbQRLBFH8DklipC0N6_NBWg/s320/IMG_0250.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The weather is significantly warmer than in Beijing. It must have been in the high 60s - low 70s. </td></tr>
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The mall had a mix of Eastern and Western stores, like Sephora, Crocs, Calvin Klein, etc. The attached Walmart was like a Super Walmart, only larger, at home. It sold everything from TVs to children's clothing to live sea food. The only thing that it did not sell is medicine. I bought an electric toothbrush because Tim "borrowed" mine after he left his on the plane. I had some very helpful workers trying to interpret what I was saying. (It's hard to mime electric toothbrush.) We finally found some in locked cases, similar to what stores use to lock DVDs or video games down in America. I guess electric toothbrushes are a hot commodity.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvy3VjHAUb85J55pDDnmj5eskBRSvw4O-LNBwXGweEDAbFSymF2DuETbNHt8Iea_zM0wa6miOzXcicMEsls4tQ0yOW81NcoAOSIzGiovK5_U1cx2QgfDBOW8SUvQ49gcODEWWHxVq2oQ/s1600/IMG_0251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvy3VjHAUb85J55pDDnmj5eskBRSvw4O-LNBwXGweEDAbFSymF2DuETbNHt8Iea_zM0wa6miOzXcicMEsls4tQ0yOW81NcoAOSIzGiovK5_U1cx2QgfDBOW8SUvQ49gcODEWWHxVq2oQ/s320/IMG_0251.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the front of Walmart. That is actually the Walmart greeter on your right.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63Ek88YNSb9CE0NBVPUYqjBDnoCphfEoWhA3iBp2T-YS5fAFzdjPfe9VwCnZWVIMptFlLpfpg-NhzymwfUEKl3kP5CaUMp10vkQCwH2FUFgok9Z7qNrKhhQCX4qMjjZdgHdP2AvZwrw/s1600/IMG_0252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63Ek88YNSb9CE0NBVPUYqjBDnoCphfEoWhA3iBp2T-YS5fAFzdjPfe9VwCnZWVIMptFlLpfpg-NhzymwfUEKl3kP5CaUMp10vkQCwH2FUFgok9Z7qNrKhhQCX4qMjjZdgHdP2AvZwrw/s320/IMG_0252.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They sold bins and bins of rice at different prices. I honestly could not tell the difference between them.</td></tr>
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We then ate at a Pizza Hut, which had an interesting menu. At what Pizza Hut in America can you order pizza with salmon or a mix of seafood on it? Tim ordered fried squid and we shared a Hawaiian pizza. Yummy!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIz5UF0cADVZmQNE4MMZzw4DgphIRYDPt-aQsBrrMLv03dQyk4IreEKLod0MXj1-UQ_muUpanNfRlYJfNtFt8HfPGbuoRbeNJOHAp17m69lobZUG8qJc33HTNTuAMrZrBc3mT7IghYxQ/s1600/IMG_0253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIz5UF0cADVZmQNE4MMZzw4DgphIRYDPt-aQsBrrMLv03dQyk4IreEKLod0MXj1-UQ_muUpanNfRlYJfNtFt8HfPGbuoRbeNJOHAp17m69lobZUG8qJc33HTNTuAMrZrBc3mT7IghYxQ/s320/IMG_0253.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A page from the menu at Pizza Hutt</td></tr>
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We meet in the lobby at 9:15 tomorrow to travel with Karen, Jenna, and three other CCAI families (two are from the Netherlands) to meet our children. I just can't wait! Tomorrow we will truly be a family of six.</div>
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<br /></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-15701809783297711342012-03-24T05:36:00.002-07:002012-03-24T05:36:27.805-07:00The Jade Factory, Great Wall and Olympic ParkToday was another packed day, and we truly enjoyed being tourists. The Great Wall was approximately 1 1/2 hours away with traffic. (The traffic in Beijing, even on the weekend, is killer. Approximately 24 million people live here.) On the way, we stopped at a lovely jade factory and received a lesson on how jade was cultivated and carved. <div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHBeytncGalRWwaMVNDZeTtXt-0rJbFvcfVfSkFxOKBXwfNf5bsOXJ6-ljv-z5guU4bB3xCwqvd8VG1beGcr90fZ9Q-ztagGuLmXN9o8I3zTZ9tk_B3mX78UZ29r27RhZce9McpFV8g/s1600/IMG_0171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHBeytncGalRWwaMVNDZeTtXt-0rJbFvcfVfSkFxOKBXwfNf5bsOXJ6-ljv-z5guU4bB3xCwqvd8VG1beGcr90fZ9Q-ztagGuLmXN9o8I3zTZ9tk_B3mX78UZ29r27RhZce9McpFV8g/s320/IMG_0171.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many workers carving the jade</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ67KZyd2a0KBF_Z8soePwOWDO2Kra5fTyXgQnxxeK8XKXGLLVba2f2ZEIrYo2eOBS_32eq0WB4jISTqF5_Qw3d2lsWYyZO_P3W4iFUQsez1Az_xOyJ3K3qyADGFRr83Lz9iSzbmDzug/s1600/IMG_0172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ67KZyd2a0KBF_Z8soePwOWDO2Kra5fTyXgQnxxeK8XKXGLLVba2f2ZEIrYo2eOBS_32eq0WB4jISTqF5_Qw3d2lsWYyZO_P3W4iFUQsez1Az_xOyJ3K3qyADGFRr83Lz9iSzbmDzug/s320/IMG_0172.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jade balls that they are working on are actually two balls within a larger ball, representing the three generations of family. Some had three balls within a larger one. We bought a small one to take home.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39usgi_-gIflRtRGyez-9hbIhsjeCH7tLMyx1hZTaod5i4qyYV7Wq4xDaJC2G6ySmmIRFhOJbwCahK2T_KNRId3HFxfQwfp7HIOGIZW_NhCLwyA_nxl39fKsf1UmDTZOum3AgAXHdtA/s1600/IMG_0174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39usgi_-gIflRtRGyez-9hbIhsjeCH7tLMyx1hZTaod5i4qyYV7Wq4xDaJC2G6ySmmIRFhOJbwCahK2T_KNRId3HFxfQwfp7HIOGIZW_NhCLwyA_nxl39fKsf1UmDTZOum3AgAXHdtA/s320/IMG_0174.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We learned that jade comes in many colors and there is hard and soft jade. Hard jade is used to make jewelry and soft jade is used for carvings.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCD4CvvW5YCXFBAlGsm__aHfZKzUJQ2vGuzlosXVmq1IDfRqt02fwe1KeuBdCujG4d6_latHGLMp_YJ6TcHqJeRYLvdMFTkaC3u-auiedYFP3lchA1np015ouIhMKFmcd8VWCAe5FPcQ/s1600/IMG_0176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCD4CvvW5YCXFBAlGsm__aHfZKzUJQ2vGuzlosXVmq1IDfRqt02fwe1KeuBdCujG4d6_latHGLMp_YJ6TcHqJeRYLvdMFTkaC3u-auiedYFP3lchA1np015ouIhMKFmcd8VWCAe5FPcQ/s320/IMG_0176.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the souvenir Tim really wanted...a jade tiger. It only cost approximately $70,000. We would have to have bought it another seat on the plane. :)</td></tr>
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After the jade factory, we made our way to the Great Wall. It was truly awe inspiring. I made it to the first stop on the difficult side, but there was so much pressure in my ears, I had to then make my way down. The scariest part was actually going down because the steps are so steep and uneven. There were also a lot of visitors there today and walking around some that stopped for breathers was a little scary.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjY4N54KAlB8-wIpIb5ZKVF1w8eHNvZhJhdn6M55ouQZJUozTVLlG0xqT36s8J8Iu7M2WlrwB5rzaO-OLWKn6HpwB75ufrF-wrTNDvZ8xtCl5MP2fGwVkFUme_m0Fja-rN_oxK9vLAg/s1600/IMG_0180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjY4N54KAlB8-wIpIb5ZKVF1w8eHNvZhJhdn6M55ouQZJUozTVLlG0xqT36s8J8Iu7M2WlrwB5rzaO-OLWKn6HpwB75ufrF-wrTNDvZ8xtCl5MP2fGwVkFUme_m0Fja-rN_oxK9vLAg/s320/IMG_0180.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The right side of the Great Wall was not as steep as the left.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLVcyzm2FmHmiJzsf2Q_iLcnuVeDf264MxG2FyDQvN3qWx5SWytyWVxSjvnXwYoe5rXDIwUoQ5jjz7ULTEZxXUh0-YVRyqrQVqlos-qUxNaVOpz4PlcxgN_2qHt4kl-e_U7sBgIMRkQ/s1600/IMG_0183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLVcyzm2FmHmiJzsf2Q_iLcnuVeDf264MxG2FyDQvN3qWx5SWytyWVxSjvnXwYoe5rXDIwUoQ5jjz7ULTEZxXUh0-YVRyqrQVqlos-qUxNaVOpz4PlcxgN_2qHt4kl-e_U7sBgIMRkQ/s320/IMG_0183.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim and me before climbing the Great Wall</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_p6aOzu6O-yWcVRKh5LFp_8IX24MoX5Elahaap2SfzYZkCdg6dI-OfyVLaC-az4UYUHb3jh0kZWH1s4MDf-lftcStHK6U3qDUWNb4_FFp8zh6aDZ71eJTyTlygrGU_TF82xs5DlfTQ/s1600/IMG_0185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_p6aOzu6O-yWcVRKh5LFp_8IX24MoX5Elahaap2SfzYZkCdg6dI-OfyVLaC-az4UYUHb3jh0kZWH1s4MDf-lftcStHK6U3qDUWNb4_FFp8zh6aDZ71eJTyTlygrGU_TF82xs5DlfTQ/s320/IMG_0185.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made it up to the first tower. At that point, the pressure in my ears was making me too dizzy to go any farther.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Xebbb-KArroJL0SMlzI3g-rZt5CU6lzR7GpV1NENMNUYZm3o80vabTiZnhwR3h_DcaeRLwHjctoZMEOXxyqyFmmC5pCFKmEeUJdAg957HQomwgqrmokPrB_CVURGB4zUmCn3tm21aQ/s1600/IMG_0186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Xebbb-KArroJL0SMlzI3g-rZt5CU6lzR7GpV1NENMNUYZm3o80vabTiZnhwR3h_DcaeRLwHjctoZMEOXxyqyFmmC5pCFKmEeUJdAg957HQomwgqrmokPrB_CVURGB4zUmCn3tm21aQ/s320/IMG_0186.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I thought this was a funny sign...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_u4ZNb7Q1mXrPV87HoKg7Te42MqJfwtGigRPPwjRhMGd8jQ40clga88lW4Nk6QXpdsH-5ZfcLar_3gOm05e_ONDpHFyDIXSXuMHBNDbUpsj4edgA6fFlug63nUXFQR3TkvFgAnBzTeA/s1600/IMG_0188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_u4ZNb7Q1mXrPV87HoKg7Te42MqJfwtGigRPPwjRhMGd8jQ40clga88lW4Nk6QXpdsH-5ZfcLar_3gOm05e_ONDpHFyDIXSXuMHBNDbUpsj4edgA6fFlug63nUXFQR3TkvFgAnBzTeA/s320/IMG_0188.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The steps were so steep it was like climbing up and down a ladder.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VekoGMDPFqb0OFeDTPmJiYQFbIUTMJmiA6iODjESq-DbdJPDrfo3Bl4T_h7XTuhjjLwk2lBfKhUVdUqj3d5I7l7Ha1OgdDyP6t3Yuv9thHO-Y6Igc5hWrqYP9C8ZgDkDRCbm9pu0Ww/s1600/IMG_0191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VekoGMDPFqb0OFeDTPmJiYQFbIUTMJmiA6iODjESq-DbdJPDrfo3Bl4T_h7XTuhjjLwk2lBfKhUVdUqj3d5I7l7Ha1OgdDyP6t3Yuv9thHO-Y6Igc5hWrqYP9C8ZgDkDRCbm9pu0Ww/s320/IMG_0191.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim doing his "Rocky" move at the top</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-DbWV5DEzUPGHuR0DVrG1RDIiQPGyGiRm-dFXpNs5S5BG-lgmqrfzFxC2Qh3FZyikh6vYeQxqcK6UTkYXChdBCOsAuIOnZ7qEB03ivIV8kux_7_SGMZa-CBWRcym3sHD-OI0g602-w/s1600/IMG_0193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-DbWV5DEzUPGHuR0DVrG1RDIiQPGyGiRm-dFXpNs5S5BG-lgmqrfzFxC2Qh3FZyikh6vYeQxqcK6UTkYXChdBCOsAuIOnZ7qEB03ivIV8kux_7_SGMZa-CBWRcym3sHD-OI0g602-w/s320/IMG_0193.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our view of the other side from the top</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieG_I53iEz2TUx5RRBBGE-k5ybGdOqMg2T0BIHJGYUTp90QAMpOyNjO_84Skjb7WJRdk4c-_FrXltI72kqIvZq3j5KnpX7wpVkhOCFpaDkbTKyr3xTLlXFAwGJPrAdDoiLMtsU2EZK6g/s1600/IMG_0200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieG_I53iEz2TUx5RRBBGE-k5ybGdOqMg2T0BIHJGYUTp90QAMpOyNjO_84Skjb7WJRdk4c-_FrXltI72kqIvZq3j5KnpX7wpVkhOCFpaDkbTKyr3xTLlXFAwGJPrAdDoiLMtsU2EZK6g/s320/IMG_0200.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The right side was a little less steep than the left.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOUb_xfPDhh5MDduTyw2AAhjjDjqV7u5ed3rEkVFWdwJIWb5QzT_VUKpuVngH5tIKwRSx2ixnOF1D2DuLYhycqi2sLklKlsxeGxMQ6ZqvqgZhcPLG2O8adbV75iV14rS_fpFjZhhuyw/s1600/IMG_0201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOUb_xfPDhh5MDduTyw2AAhjjDjqV7u5ed3rEkVFWdwJIWb5QzT_VUKpuVngH5tIKwRSx2ixnOF1D2DuLYhycqi2sLklKlsxeGxMQ6ZqvqgZhcPLG2O8adbV75iV14rS_fpFjZhhuyw/s320/IMG_0201.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is where we climbed.</td></tr>
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<div>
After the Great Wall, we stopped at a lovely Chinese restaurant for lunch. They brought us fish that was the entire fish, eyes, head, and all, along with other dishes. We enjoyed, but really liked the restaurant yesterday better.</div>
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<div>
Then, we stopped at the Olympic Village on our way back.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutgCUMfxKXodwhtsUEUXpEUizTx5FlSvISFiNFDVy4LRQYz4rxOrEJxa8jxlXS1Ni8JaiIQ-tApy2j9xTh8k8RWTftCUPvdTz_zn_hl4SbLnfsg17dvsONaD0srBVviojhgOrvWZEyw/s1600/IMG_0204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutgCUMfxKXodwhtsUEUXpEUizTx5FlSvISFiNFDVy4LRQYz4rxOrEJxa8jxlXS1Ni8JaiIQ-tApy2j9xTh8k8RWTftCUPvdTz_zn_hl4SbLnfsg17dvsONaD0srBVviojhgOrvWZEyw/s320/IMG_0204.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a series of hotels developed for the Olympics in the shape of a dragon.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwcYhDfXi-Nk6RRlRXr1gAjwwBA89bOGa_UMy5IuNkvOkd38LLd54CyylHuAmp0KTrBIByt3O5BJhCBmuWluFw7hUD3CPMJYxgOYOvhHnypZ7kyTIcxrsq0F0R7eTAJrgHo8PQO2lpw/s1600/IMG_0207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwcYhDfXi-Nk6RRlRXr1gAjwwBA89bOGa_UMy5IuNkvOkd38LLd54CyylHuAmp0KTrBIByt3O5BJhCBmuWluFw7hUD3CPMJYxgOYOvhHnypZ7kyTIcxrsq0F0R7eTAJrgHo8PQO2lpw/s320/IMG_0207.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're standing in front of the "bird's nest," the Olympic stadium.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRy_FrHjogQw8m-UyDQ3V1nijfY5-ZfEUTYa8wE-NpuyUwwDa_Vxu6CMi2UeSFG4MT-99pM1XdRfoHI0D44ycbCJFFzjnH08MemYg6ryXcQ4Wx2FL3UztQ6AmuENz0Ow6Q-bz-34RLcA/s1600/IMG_0211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRy_FrHjogQw8m-UyDQ3V1nijfY5-ZfEUTYa8wE-NpuyUwwDa_Vxu6CMi2UeSFG4MT-99pM1XdRfoHI0D44ycbCJFFzjnH08MemYg6ryXcQ4Wx2FL3UztQ6AmuENz0Ow6Q-bz-34RLcA/s320/IMG_0211.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can catch a glimpse of the traffic in Beijing.</td></tr>
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<div>
Our final stop was to an acrobatic show. The show was much like a Cirque de Soliel performance in the states. The acrobats were wonderful and I had popcorn and chocolate covered sticks (like thin cookies) called Pocky as snacks. I really enjoyed the Pocky. (You know I'm a chocolate lover.) Below are some pics of the show.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPr0yhZZoHzWlE6ClnVGo3tMGrWz6ZxouvFcnQmwISWqwph8EbEPjDkcp2e9dCpSjc3ShUgCIuce7knV0etVzgLdiAYo0uIvi0DOGy4Cp9gLoDf_HMlez1Mt8UeXCCKtPmJRAoTMWfHg/s1600/IMG_0219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPr0yhZZoHzWlE6ClnVGo3tMGrWz6ZxouvFcnQmwISWqwph8EbEPjDkcp2e9dCpSjc3ShUgCIuce7knV0etVzgLdiAYo0uIvi0DOGy4Cp9gLoDf_HMlez1Mt8UeXCCKtPmJRAoTMWfHg/s320/IMG_0219.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLapxTmuYkGxCQSLJbDY_8OFwKy0KZ3F80i9vqgEqwkq2Y0OEhDQuqEAqRhKevI0O5k-VXtFnWbjgqEo6mzZyM2zYYoDqm1jvr3Q6nqAPVuvqAJ_Y6-8436vBx2JaEgAl1stnCD89LQ/s1600/IMG_0221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLapxTmuYkGxCQSLJbDY_8OFwKy0KZ3F80i9vqgEqwkq2Y0OEhDQuqEAqRhKevI0O5k-VXtFnWbjgqEo6mzZyM2zYYoDqm1jvr3Q6nqAPVuvqAJ_Y6-8436vBx2JaEgAl1stnCD89LQ/s320/IMG_0221.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvMRzgx08-WqYde9vAsFOpeNEgZjD3fuq1rY4S1M62Hv95MiwsJuz0UEL0UuqnvrC4CgwrMw8NPjiihWC5slp1iEX3h_Vrl8Q7_6DT0aOwt_Uh0tLkTeELP9eDnEzvUaTNAvaxhGyyOA/s1600/IMG_0228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvMRzgx08-WqYde9vAsFOpeNEgZjD3fuq1rY4S1M62Hv95MiwsJuz0UEL0UuqnvrC4CgwrMw8NPjiihWC5slp1iEX3h_Vrl8Q7_6DT0aOwt_Uh0tLkTeELP9eDnEzvUaTNAvaxhGyyOA/s320/IMG_0228.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuLGFb0GA2Y7pHV-jvT9u52Y2ltrOcHC3pSeerhe-FR5-lMSsWvoZXctPbG_1XmE8p6fyk7WyOQ1bG4nuc2sdeAisunhesmxWHU8-QrTmFEeNbWaJzPYkxwW7-WrbJNlbNnrvKaPASg/s1600/IMG_0233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuLGFb0GA2Y7pHV-jvT9u52Y2ltrOcHC3pSeerhe-FR5-lMSsWvoZXctPbG_1XmE8p6fyk7WyOQ1bG4nuc2sdeAisunhesmxWHU8-QrTmFEeNbWaJzPYkxwW7-WrbJNlbNnrvKaPASg/s320/IMG_0233.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Tomorrow, we're taking a morning flight into Hefei, the capitol of Chloe's province. On the eve of leaving Beijing, I want to share with you a few thoughts on some things I've learned thus far on the trip.</div>
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<ol>
<li>Drivers definitely have the right of way. I think it is perfectly okay for them to run over pedestrians.</li>
<li>Going to the bathroom in the "squatty" potty is more complicated than you think (if you are a girl). You definitely need to have the perfect amount of squat and angle to be successful. (I am proud to say that I was successful at this feat.)</li>
<li>There appears to be a shortage of toilet paper in Beijing. At times there is a community roll, where you take a few squares before you enter the individual stalls, but often there is none in the dispenser.</li>
<li>It is perfectly okay to spit on the sidewalk, on the streets, etc. You see nice, respectable old women do this.</li>
</ol>
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Can't wait to post from our next location! We are getting closer and closer to meeting Chloe!</div>
</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-57865035749702723632012-03-23T16:55:00.002-07:002012-03-23T16:55:46.954-07:00Some Pics Thus Far....I think I finally figured out the trick to getting strong Internet/VPN service here. (I'll probably have to start over when we get to Hefei tomorrow.) Anyhow, here are a few of our journey so far.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1-cNNmpZ1RqBzJeF60u2g2lbM1-sySNaEu2QJ0mFNkniJJVmZtDurfVgJibFX2nEOjbp96F-108zILjC936r3zbStg_vhFSXgpibrZP4qiiVNHhUWAFs1q4Afvl88hzi1wC6O5_kfw/s1600/IMG_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1-cNNmpZ1RqBzJeF60u2g2lbM1-sySNaEu2QJ0mFNkniJJVmZtDurfVgJibFX2nEOjbp96F-108zILjC936r3zbStg_vhFSXgpibrZP4qiiVNHhUWAFs1q4Afvl88hzi1wC6O5_kfw/s320/IMG_0013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first leg of our trip...almost to Tokyo!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzF4TRHjNYyQ67e_v3kew8b6ZV3ZWmRSTjrUHorS7VJUgf9QjdyzMY6oSu6KKWjnxshW-p1g_U4Cc3bLTu-cT91P-9G_rXLaEIWVmAWhjUCK6Xosg18Ow1rNkZFdExKuQve62VsFkc3g/s1600/IMG_0028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzF4TRHjNYyQ67e_v3kew8b6ZV3ZWmRSTjrUHorS7VJUgf9QjdyzMY6oSu6KKWjnxshW-p1g_U4Cc3bLTu-cT91P-9G_rXLaEIWVmAWhjUCK6Xosg18Ow1rNkZFdExKuQve62VsFkc3g/s320/IMG_0028.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sitting in the rickshaw, ready for our tour...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRc3oWZ77nW-Hq7qYswN6VzDl_N3e_v513_rOByY2lnCLd3uk-Q-66rIWh1rxSkaqhgndn-FU6CLKGA1YoUaC0R8hWmWGLwTtOrlGa3bN3s0_cV9WK8ipV-lTxFxh75jrKc3VHNVqRw/s1600/IMG_0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRc3oWZ77nW-Hq7qYswN6VzDl_N3e_v513_rOByY2lnCLd3uk-Q-66rIWh1rxSkaqhgndn-FU6CLKGA1YoUaC0R8hWmWGLwTtOrlGa3bN3s0_cV9WK8ipV-lTxFxh75jrKc3VHNVqRw/s320/IMG_0035.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the courtyard of the old house we visited. There were rooms on all 4 sides. Look in the pot - beautiful goldfish!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitHmlhe9RvHaQ_Fr6n1WJExqKIR3k4hB3UxigE7w-4QSRuuMCkhtfYoO8BkkMuQC4jfPY8BS4SM0vQMkBuU3j4f0SEHcDNRjV0HDKtXnRA78OymSmX9hgK3sTPHsrrDJI8NLJ6wdZzuw/s1600/IMG_0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitHmlhe9RvHaQ_Fr6n1WJExqKIR3k4hB3UxigE7w-4QSRuuMCkhtfYoO8BkkMuQC4jfPY8BS4SM0vQMkBuU3j4f0SEHcDNRjV0HDKtXnRA78OymSmX9hgK3sTPHsrrDJI8NLJ6wdZzuw/s320/IMG_0041.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Us and the man who owned the house....He was in the military long ago and then worked in construction. His grandfather willed the house to him and he's lived here for 60 years. It is now worth approximately $4 million; it is one of the few pieces of private property left. (The government owns most of the property here.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabE3m3A-l00uKOd6FagCW8SjrXoWzH9qur4xSlXeb4-C2Dm357mV4WWd53vmJ3lASf6A7SqO-VzZxUba4KQmJjll7ZR2Rf1zwTnNPIV8a3DggUlpW1Ik8Qp0PX4vE-Fa3vEHt7dIh7w/s1600/IMG_0043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabE3m3A-l00uKOd6FagCW8SjrXoWzH9qur4xSlXeb4-C2Dm357mV4WWd53vmJ3lASf6A7SqO-VzZxUba4KQmJjll7ZR2Rf1zwTnNPIV8a3DggUlpW1Ik8Qp0PX4vE-Fa3vEHt7dIh7w/s320/IMG_0043.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim and I dressed in ceremonial honeymoon garb, sitting in the honeymoon suite (a small room with a bed and TV)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSUz4JYGfKkvh_NQmP205hulL_WyWY4kLXpsu7tt5zux3u1KghZAIZ2f9RZV_zBDrulFtBI_7MTRVXDi7uGO5A8yY33Yrzq4N-qmsZ1OgFzojdAmHRRh2IyUBo4HrQstu20C5R_gMYQ/s1600/IMG_0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSUz4JYGfKkvh_NQmP205hulL_WyWY4kLXpsu7tt5zux3u1KghZAIZ2f9RZV_zBDrulFtBI_7MTRVXDi7uGO5A8yY33Yrzq4N-qmsZ1OgFzojdAmHRRh2IyUBo4HrQstu20C5R_gMYQ/s320/IMG_0051.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our gang in the courtyard</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJVfe6beX0Hx2OyfnK3ySevOXEwt9JX3K2vIcIR8ZKquO3YwsxBF3lGLRI-Rbo0fjnOY1-DNNr6EKSLrHXAOP_a2ldwp3W47rMd7qzaNrTBABrc_f94MS8FWezphhDguj_mFhJl-mrg/s1600/IMG_0064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJVfe6beX0Hx2OyfnK3ySevOXEwt9JX3K2vIcIR8ZKquO3YwsxBF3lGLRI-Rbo0fjnOY1-DNNr6EKSLrHXAOP_a2ldwp3W47rMd7qzaNrTBABrc_f94MS8FWezphhDguj_mFhJl-mrg/s320/IMG_0064.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a reggae bar in the old part of town...too funny, I had to take a picture.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG50A1wniZ80Ocg9BfU42QHAjh1FnZpeE3g8_wUQpQQQ3FMv0dSqg50feBOZ_Cu0XAv4F64oI-xEqq7ma62h0lKl2YjUgl1pXZv98E8p5yRd9lvjpGrKOfsFgSg9-GTI1jxPHLbiw5kA/s1600/IMG_0076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG50A1wniZ80Ocg9BfU42QHAjh1FnZpeE3g8_wUQpQQQ3FMv0dSqg50feBOZ_Cu0XAv4F64oI-xEqq7ma62h0lKl2YjUgl1pXZv98E8p5yRd9lvjpGrKOfsFgSg9-GTI1jxPHLbiw5kA/s320/IMG_0076.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learning about how worms make silk</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTm2y5lPk1B4xrUIVji5EJ7Wdn6wM9dMFbnG5EBNgQq3IxHbjP-whkNVMQs5GebqZw4FAHPuOfxmsZ8QVpF13LTYe-0k09hYWXS7UmT10P6Y7bshKTGVqYWNp08et7VGG0MekyvZnHw/s1600/IMG_0080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTm2y5lPk1B4xrUIVji5EJ7Wdn6wM9dMFbnG5EBNgQq3IxHbjP-whkNVMQs5GebqZw4FAHPuOfxmsZ8QVpF13LTYe-0k09hYWXS7UmT10P6Y7bshKTGVqYWNp08et7VGG0MekyvZnHw/s320/IMG_0080.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silk comes from the cocoons of the worms. See the dead worm in the corner?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvBKuc2gD784U4DUkqYHOMAw7_fENZGWWTWpDPAVCaB8ZJMoW3etTmUo6rDUAj0QThpULJOkYwuIX2d6fYV2jQwSca0ggyiMKmKbmUQNF3YeHECUTfgx470eSZzwzu0gzgBbxxjO4fA/s1600/IMG_0082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvBKuc2gD784U4DUkqYHOMAw7_fENZGWWTWpDPAVCaB8ZJMoW3etTmUo6rDUAj0QThpULJOkYwuIX2d6fYV2jQwSca0ggyiMKmKbmUQNF3YeHECUTfgx470eSZzwzu0gzgBbxxjO4fA/s320/IMG_0082.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ladies made beautiful blankets from the woven silk.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9LNRGjUGxzTDcbyAnR5nrnx4847onvhcwTu6D5lzJjQFA6p5ALbLydULhyt7ukqTUTWy9psRbiH-EKgE-2u1AUvx3MZdtxfbYC2IANpRNksCzJ3Vfpunj1XWEqW-snjZTVylSXSa6w/s1600/IMG_0084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9LNRGjUGxzTDcbyAnR5nrnx4847onvhcwTu6D5lzJjQFA6p5ALbLydULhyt7ukqTUTWy9psRbiH-EKgE-2u1AUvx3MZdtxfbYC2IANpRNksCzJ3Vfpunj1XWEqW-snjZTVylSXSa6w/s320/IMG_0084.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our table for yummy traditional, Chinese lunch...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Q6fSXPyaI78ffRWld7DV8nWZFVKF4mwAgjFV3p3nKcT-k69SiBEwhfG-HPtBX599jCBrTYyngjiyhkTraByrxqN5ugI5qD8H_rfoNpHljGwY4LGRBpmimOcP6perZraeRW13zviYfA/s1600/IMG_0094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Q6fSXPyaI78ffRWld7DV8nWZFVKF4mwAgjFV3p3nKcT-k69SiBEwhfG-HPtBX599jCBrTYyngjiyhkTraByrxqN5ugI5qD8H_rfoNpHljGwY4LGRBpmimOcP6perZraeRW13zviYfA/s320/IMG_0094.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Tianenmen Square....See how hard the wind was blowing?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEtIMPwskx6KwtJLSRGAsQUBSOaCqyfWdBVvmTUUMbZFPijwhcYWXapicpw7p08YNUHu9fIrBQ5oHDU29pcH6FsWkLEB87OWWvWPhCxGfooMMJj7EH7B8KaxzFGDRgOYXQrDi3l_Mkw/s1600/IMG_0105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEtIMPwskx6KwtJLSRGAsQUBSOaCqyfWdBVvmTUUMbZFPijwhcYWXapicpw7p08YNUHu9fIrBQ5oHDU29pcH6FsWkLEB87OWWvWPhCxGfooMMJj7EH7B8KaxzFGDRgOYXQrDi3l_Mkw/s320/IMG_0105.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A stoic guard in front of the Forbidden City</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0TcDQr8M7Ph7TPWDpb_ayaP_dH304pfrNAkVFkoBC2btxJujBSLFMuuKxJCC175Xsw7NcsfBLz_qejwioEHmYCx-kCQAKPXZxSVBnkttUY-b9QyhEG52bqvhyphenhyphenNPiBCFTUq64QuUE1Q/s1600/IMG_0107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0TcDQr8M7Ph7TPWDpb_ayaP_dH304pfrNAkVFkoBC2btxJujBSLFMuuKxJCC175Xsw7NcsfBLz_qejwioEHmYCx-kCQAKPXZxSVBnkttUY-b9QyhEG52bqvhyphenhyphenNPiBCFTUq64QuUE1Q/s320/IMG_0107.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim and me in front of the entrance to the Forbidden City</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsgjFB2v7chP4ReiNcAv-8Gsm63lzivEpCdz5Ix50oqeIHgjCLPZ860p8EEAhwCjVptPPBaXlQHGTc1ejxh696OzQtEsxq5QLrMsV8vFm9Apcx7R5YjhbkVFUBNeoAnlzIB5faB71CA/s1600/IMG_0112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsgjFB2v7chP4ReiNcAv-8Gsm63lzivEpCdz5Ix50oqeIHgjCLPZ860p8EEAhwCjVptPPBaXlQHGTc1ejxh696OzQtEsxq5QLrMsV8vFm9Apcx7R5YjhbkVFUBNeoAnlzIB5faB71CA/s320/IMG_0112.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rubbing the gold door knobs for good luck</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzna2P9Ax6RCiPLhVZR6ZPHFyOj4fb7igeg4reVptBfDBEDaQv2PCyP8Ypw10Nk85daxEOite7NgZt7X3mAl05EBsq48dd64tBCDi-Y_8boKrctWE3DZwez_F29YNWuZipBmjyQ8wlg/s1600/IMG_0116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzna2P9Ax6RCiPLhVZR6ZPHFyOj4fb7igeg4reVptBfDBEDaQv2PCyP8Ypw10Nk85daxEOite7NgZt7X3mAl05EBsq48dd64tBCDi-Y_8boKrctWE3DZwez_F29YNWuZipBmjyQ8wlg/s320/IMG_0116.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I haven't worked up the nerve to go in one of the traditional potties here. (I don't think my leg muscles are strong enough.) However, I may have to before we leave.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAuQUyglVMfwrYJjj3NtAhyWb71HyzeN0pjfPEsY1iypJic_2aCu3GUF0rTTt-JBFKfW-mv0DfBeYCJlA6PozdG7bdWBAh33Vi9lsBzc6FohfLXKaV2b0asGuPosCVAf8xFib4KsNNQ/s1600/IMG_0141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAuQUyglVMfwrYJjj3NtAhyWb71HyzeN0pjfPEsY1iypJic_2aCu3GUF0rTTt-JBFKfW-mv0DfBeYCJlA6PozdG7bdWBAh33Vi9lsBzc6FohfLXKaV2b0asGuPosCVAf8xFib4KsNNQ/s320/IMG_0141.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside one of the palace rooms....fit for an emperor, huh?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmlX2ECAsRENBJoK04ozuwkH-IP2QIgt_A049tRGJsPy0DiJtOADi3mqn4AzaQQ5B2jJQIC7daSNrYWNxH8nDWvWgnhJ5XgZmmy4vwXIctKJGivKLAxSB9dmfE8qEINoXTIPb3Tpd8g/s1600/IMG_0148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmlX2ECAsRENBJoK04ozuwkH-IP2QIgt_A049tRGJsPy0DiJtOADi3mqn4AzaQQ5B2jJQIC7daSNrYWNxH8nDWvWgnhJ5XgZmmy4vwXIctKJGivKLAxSB9dmfE8qEINoXTIPb3Tpd8g/s320/IMG_0148.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many palace buildings</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uWt6fDtino_jTnRYVLEkZvjhMmj9_FNTiO8hsR54kkKmITbGFRmVH-xDPxLQVmh_qSIHhyJ3Ie0WrrSK_nZeEnvDBuBhqCNMVyFut1MAw5hnpobaXz8vYnKaWSQUXwHO2YHnFZPcpA/s1600/IMG_0154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uWt6fDtino_jTnRYVLEkZvjhMmj9_FNTiO8hsR54kkKmITbGFRmVH-xDPxLQVmh_qSIHhyJ3Ie0WrrSK_nZeEnvDBuBhqCNMVyFut1MAw5hnpobaXz8vYnKaWSQUXwHO2YHnFZPcpA/s320/IMG_0154.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a stone sculpture in the Imperial Garden. All the stones were imported and the empress ruled this part of the kingdom.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxMFeM6nOLN4jcKi3Q4718XNMUnlvMDPomvuHmSHiUIRFZWewD4rUwTHowTB9ycIf_JwtUSUWbRcYbhNYpywU6j4dlXm5TGrNbriM-_1AiGqxA7dinQlxDOTlhLRQKolG93M-mj5zEg/s1600/IMG_0162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxMFeM6nOLN4jcKi3Q4718XNMUnlvMDPomvuHmSHiUIRFZWewD4rUwTHowTB9ycIf_JwtUSUWbRcYbhNYpywU6j4dlXm5TGrNbriM-_1AiGqxA7dinQlxDOTlhLRQKolG93M-mj5zEg/s320/IMG_0162.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many sculptures featured....This one was in the garden. Look at the feet; they are backwards.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55DwDsLlo2IHwhithd0h5cIJKtvTvG88mFFNTLb-zHTvxyjroQHiEqrwffmJVBM7C6lMVEmNktMwHkE6mm9_RCJbYBeo6htBVrrBKEooJzkrOopwCNoH47WsjJXSY5LqPfRmRWDghVw/s1600/IMG_0164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55DwDsLlo2IHwhithd0h5cIJKtvTvG88mFFNTLb-zHTvxyjroQHiEqrwffmJVBM7C6lMVEmNktMwHkE6mm9_RCJbYBeo6htBVrrBKEooJzkrOopwCNoH47WsjJXSY5LqPfRmRWDghVw/s320/IMG_0164.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The emperor also made a man-made mountain. This was at its peak.<br /></td></tr>
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Hopefully, we'll have more to post after our adventure today....the Great Wall, the Olympic stadium, and an acrobatic show. Miss you all!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-80865580051774777592012-03-23T05:18:00.000-07:002012-03-23T15:14:44.870-07:00Hutong Tour, Tiananmen Square, and Forbidden CityToday we took a wonderful tour of some fabulous Beijing sites. We started with the Hutong Tour where we boarded a rickshaw (bicycle driven carriage) and rode through the older, more traditional streets of Beijing. Beijing is a wonderful mixture of the old and the new, but we were told that mainly older people live in the traditional houses. They sacrifice private bathrooms for beautiful courtyards where children play, gardens grow, and birds in cages nest. We visited one man's home who told us how extended families live together in these houses. Tim and I had a great picture made in the honeymoon suite. Now, mind you, all rooms in the courtyard house are maybe 8' x 10' or 10' x 10' at the largest. They include a separate kitchen, dining area, sitting area (like our family room, but much much smaller), and bedrooms. By the way, the beds in Beijing are extremely hard, but I hear that they are good for you back. :)<br />
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From there, we visited a silk factory and learned how they retrieve the silk from the silk worms. It was interesting and a little gross. They actually get the sick from the coccoons that the larvae spin. The process that extracts the silk actually kills the worm. I have great pics that I'll upload later. Of course, we did some damage in the shop, buying silk dresses for Chloe, Mer, and Hannah, silk ties, and a silk scarf. Too much fun.</div>
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Then, we had lunch with our crew (3 other families) at a wonderful Chinese restaurant. We ate in the traditional family style, with a lazy Susan in the middle, housing dish after dish that they brought out. We ate fish, chicken and beef and I am happy to say that no one got sick.</div>
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After lunch, we headed for Tiananmen Square, the largest city square in the world. Famous for the Chinese student protests in the 1990, the area houses all the important government buildings, very similar to the mall in Washington, D.C. There were tourists all over; many of them were Asian from other areas of China. Also, while the sun shone and the temperatures were in the low to mid-50s, there were such strong wind gusts that we were afraid we would lose some of the families' children to the wind.</div>
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We also toured the Forbidden City, where past emperors lived. While it was really interesting learning about the different rooms, architecture, etc., the wind made it sooo cold that by the end of our tour, we were definitely ready to leave.</div>
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Now, as we sit in our hotel room, Tim wants me to mention that he's watching a Chinese basketball league on TV and former GA Tech star, Stephon Marbury, is playing for the blue team. (Since we can't read Chinese, we don't know the name of team.) Also, strangely, they are playing the <i>Rocky</i> theme in the background.</div>
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I promise I'll try to post pictures later. Tomorrow - the Great Wall!!! I can't wait!</div>
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<br /></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-48708158959623520582012-03-23T04:41:00.001-07:002012-03-23T04:41:16.423-07:00Thoughts When Traveling...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Yea! We did make it to China, at
approximately 11:40 p.m. and arrived at our hotel at approximately 1:15 a.m.
Friday. Needless to say, we were just a little tired. Our flight
came in early to Tokyo, and Tim and I spent the four plus hours there taking
turns stretching out on the waiting seats and napping.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Below are some thoughts while we were on our first
leg of the trip. Photos are soooo slow loading, so I'll try again later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Well, it’s about 10:00 p.m. Eastern time and we’re
up to hour nine of our 13 ½ hour flight to Tokyo, the first leg of our
trip. Watching the flight tracker, we have flown northwest, up through
Canada, across Alaska and the Bering Strait, touching Siberia, and are now
headed southwest towards our destination. The flight has been relatively
smooth, but I have been antsy. When we flew to Ethiopia, I was able to
relax and watch movie after movie. However, during this time (which is
longer than both of our legs to Ethiopia), I watch a little, doze a little, and
walk/stretch a little. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">I know I’m excited and restless, but I think this
is the first time that I am able to focus on what we’re actually doing
(bringing our beautiful, new daughter home) than focusing on taking care of my
kids at home and at school and preparing for the trip. I hope they have talked
to Chloe about us and shared at least the letters and pictures we sent in her
care packages. I hope she knows that she is already loved and is
considered a part of our family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Josh, one of the founders of our adoption agency,
CCAI, answered a question on our travel call from a family who is also adopting
a child who is in foster care. The family asked whether they would be
able to meet their child’s foster family and Josh said more than likely
no. He then went on to state the foster families are paid to take
children in and said that their child would just be replaced by another,
basically indicating that foster children are just numbers, a means to make
some cash and replaceable commodities. I so hope that this isn’t the case
with Chloe. I hope she has been loved, and I hope her foster family cares
for her as if she is their own. See the picture in older post. This
gives me hope that she has had a good experience. Just look at how her
foster mother is smiling up at her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">We now have 3 hours and fifty-seven minutes until we land in
Tokyo. We’re taking pills for jet lag and I sure hope they work. I
want to soak in as much of China as we can and, more importantly, I want to be
rested and ready to meet our daughter.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-15923886959388824392012-03-20T18:37:00.000-07:002012-03-20T18:37:10.208-07:0015 Hours to Take Off...Well, today was a good day. I got a lot accomplished and I am almost all packed. In addition, my mom is feeling better, my kids are in bed, and my sister and Meredith are here. The next time I write we should be in Beijing. It just seems surreal...Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-75498064604208879232012-03-18T12:22:00.003-07:002012-03-18T12:22:53.054-07:00Three days before take off...Okay, so I think that by the time I get on the plane I may suffer a nervous breakdown. This past Tues., I was in a car accident (Yes, it was my fault.) and yesterday I received a phone call from my mother telling me that she did not feel well enough to make the trip to Loganville to watch the kids. AGHHHHH!!!! <br />
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Well, I've always bought into the saying that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, but I don't know how much sugar I have left in the pantry. (Like the metaphor?) However, I have to say that the sweetest part of my life right now, other than my delicious children, is my dear sister, who is traveling last minute from Lexington, KY with her daughter to watch the kids until spring break. Then, my in-laws and brother and sister-in-law will take over until we get home. (They are also right up there in sweetness.) Below is one of my favorite pics of her and her beautiful daughter, Meredith.<br />
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On a positive note, all of my essays are graded and my plans are almost ready for my permanent substitute at school. I am beginning to pack and spent a great afternoon with my daughter getting our nails done. Happy Sunday! </div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-24603653889582280782012-03-08T16:10:00.003-08:002012-03-08T16:10:52.042-08:00We're heading to China soon!On Tuesday, our agency informed us that they had confirmation of our consulate date, April 3, in Guangzhou, China! This is the time that we meet with U.S. officials and promise to love and care for our daughter forever. The appointment also is the process for generating Chloe's visa to travel to the U.S. For us, this date is so appropriate because Tim and I will also be celebrating our 19 year commitment to each other. That's right; we'll be married 19 years April 3! Being together in China with the newest family member just seems like the appropriate way to celebrate our anniversary.<br />
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This date was also the last piece of information our agency needed before setting official travel dates. Below is our tentative general itinerary. (We'll get our official travel packet some time next week.)<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li>Leave for Beijing - Wed., 3/21 at 12:40 p.m.</li>
<li>Arrive in Beijing - Thurs., 3/22 at 11:40 p.m.</li>
<li>Adjusting to the time change, resting, and sightseeing - Fri. and Sat., 3/23 and 3/24</li>
<li>Leaving for Hefei, Anhui (Chloe's province) - Sun., 3/25</li>
<li>"Gotcha" Day - Mon., 3/26</li>
<li>Consulate Appointment in Guangzhou - Tues., 4/3</li>
<li>Late night flight from Guangzhou to Hong Kong - Thurs., 4/5</li>
<li>Leave for home from Hong Kong - Fri., 4/6</li>
<li>Arrive in Atlanta - Fri., 4/6 at 7:40 p.m.</li>
</ul>
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We are sooo excited....and overwhelmed. We can't wait to bring our girl home!</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-56835218213179046532012-03-02T14:36:00.003-08:002012-03-02T14:36:49.349-08:00Travel Approval Today!!!Wow! I think I'm still in shock. We received an email around 11:15 this morning stating that we have travel approval (TA)! This is HUGE! This means that the Chinese Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption (CCWA) has reviewed our documents and given the FINAL approval for us to travel to China to bring Chloe home. Now, we just have to wait for our agency to receive the hard-copy of the approval (which could be later today or Monday), so they can request our Consulate appointment. All of our travel will revolve around our Consulate appointment date, so this is really the final piece of the puzzle.<div>
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Based on our TA, our agency gave us two options in terms of travel.</div>
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<u>Option 1</u></div>
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Leave around March 14 - 16 and return some time around March 28 - 31.</div>
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<u>Option 2</u></div>
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Leave around March 21 - 23 and return some time around April 5 - 7.</div>
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Because we would like adequate time to prepare (Tim's basketball banquet is March 19.), we did request Option 2 as our first option. However, we said we could definitely do Option 1 if Option 2 is not a possibility.</div>
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I am so excited and overwhelmed that I'm not sure what to do first! I'm just loving the fact that we'll be able to meet her so soon.</div>
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<br /></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371876081453566414.post-1586538816497656252012-02-26T11:20:00.001-08:002012-02-26T11:20:43.825-08:00Great Way to Wake Up!I woke up today with a wonderful email from Love Without Boundaries (LWB), Believe in Me (BIM) Huainan, Anhui Shutterfly site. Susan, one of LWB's directors, posted updated photos of the children at the school drinking warm milk and eating eggs and other goodies as part of LWB's nutrition program...and guess who was in the pictures? Chloe! Her foster family just recently moved back in the vicinity of the orphanage, so she now attends LWB's BIM school. Seeing her there is such a treat!<br />
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<br />Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00497922387775454873noreply@blogger.com2