Day 18 - July 31 CA

Today we got to do a little touring and went to the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees, an active Buddhist Temple in Guangzhou. It has changed since I was there the summer of 2005, they were doing some maintenance and remodel last time. The picture right below was taken from a raised highway through Guangzhou. I thought the house right beside the highway was interesting, I would not want to live there though.

Here is some laundry hanging out to dry. Our guide said most people cannot afford a cloths dryer so they just hang it our this way and it dries real well. We had a major downpour shortly after this picture was taken so I do not know if they got it in or it got soaked again.

These next pictures are taken at the buddhist temple.

This wall was just being built last time we were there. The boys are looking at huge gold fish down in the water.

While we were there someone made a huge donation and the priests came out to bless it and say a prayer for the donor.

The boys were very fascinated by the fish in the water and they kept coming back to it. I was afraid one or both of them would end up in it. Accidentally or on purpose but fortunately they stayed dry except for the sweat. While here our guide told me they just accepted our paperwork and everything is good for the passport, so tomorrow is the swearing in for the boys!!

he picture below is in the pearl market. The boys were more interested in the chairs that twirled than the pearls! It was so hot and humid you can see the sweat on Max's face.

Red Couch Pictures!

Day 17 - July 30

Last night July 29 our guide came to our room and we did the papers for the consulate appointment. She was going to see if they would do it today but they said no. They did check it over to make sure we had all the documents and found out we had to do a couple more since they wanted everything for both boys files as if it was alone. So that is all taken care of and tomorrows CA should be no problem!

This trip has really been a test of faith, but God has always worked things out and used some wonderful people to bless us along the way!!!

Today was pretty much a free day and we looked around the island a lot. Many people are very surprised we got two boys at one time. They keep asking now which one this time? I keep saying both and they look at me like I must not have understood them.

The following three pictures are of Beatrice's and it is truly closed. Then the row of shops that were right by the White Swan are also not there. We have heard conflicting things. Some have said the government made them close as they were below ground and another report I had said a company bought out the building and is going to renovate it.

I did find Susan's Place and had wonderful tea while the boys played. They had a great time and I enjoyed myself in front of an air conditioner. The tea was wonderful!

The Cow and Bridge is still there and still has wonderful food. That was my one splurge on food on this trip and it was very good.

A very hot Mama and her sweet little boys (most of the time)!

Day 16 - July 29 Examination!

On the flight yesterday, Max was visibly sad and the Purser said he told him that his misses his foster Mom a lot! He has grieved the hardest in some ways but then other times he is all rambunctious boy! I am just glad he can vocalize it.

When we got to Guangzhou our guide let us know how much RMB we would be needing for the medical and Visa photo so I went across the street to the bank to make sure I had the right amount. I decided to use the ATM to get RMB out. This was a new experience for me. I had to try 3 times before I figured out what I was doing wrong. I would get through all the screens OK and put in the amount of RMB I needed and then it said correct or a couple other things, I thought it meant correct amount, yes! Instead it meant do you need to correct the amount! Once I figured out it was a breeze and beats the lines and everything else required to convert money.

We got to meet up with the rest of our group from MAA, it was nice to put faces with the names. We met up in the lobby and walked to the place for the visa photo and then off to the medical exam.

Marc weighs 18 Kg and 108 cm tall and Max weighs 23.5 Kg and 117 cm tall.

When they did the eye exam, they have hands on the chart and the child Max in the photo below is supposed to say which way the hands are going. Well if you look closely to the picture Marc is making his hands go the same direction.

The doctor that examined the boys! He has a white lab coat on and then like sport shorts on under it. I wondered how he could have all those cloths on, we were hottttt!

For those of you that have been here before, Lucy's is still here. I took the boys there for dinner, they both like grilled cheese sandwiches and french fries. We also got stir fried broccoli which was the first thing to the table, Max loved and and Marc started crying and refused it. I think he thought that was all we were going to eat. After the sandwiches got there he did eat one piece of broccoli.

Day 16 - July 29 Off to Guangzhou!!!

Well we finally made it to Guangzhou!!!

I took these photos on the way to the airport. This looks like a market for used bicycle carts. The second picture the guys had a big thing that looked like a huge griddle and it looked like their cart was full of eggs and they were cooking them for people coming up to their cart. It was breakfast time. I just thought the third picture was interesting since there were several bicycle riders on the side street.

Our flight was early which was nice since they were saying a typhoon was headed towards Guangdong Province. It was a fairly easy flight. We were 5 rows back in the plane right behind the purser who spoke Mandarin and English. He would talk to the boys and then translate it to me.

Day 15 - July 28 Last day in Dalian

We have been together as a family (part of the family) for two weeks today!

Our last day in Dalian!!! Tomorrow we get up and leave by 6:30 AM for Guangzhou!!! I just received the boys passports, YEAH!!!!! CLOSER TO HOME AND THE REST OF MY FAMILY!!!

I want to REALLY THANK EVERYONE that has left comments, sometimes that is the only email I can get and I feel like it is a lifeline!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!! I have had real weird internet reception but the comments that are left have been getting through pretty consistantly (I set it up to email me each comment before I left) and those seem to get through when nothing else does! I guess God knew I needed them!!!

Today was a very laid back day! Nice to have, the boys played, we went out a couple times, I worked on packing and most of the stuff is packed at this point. We did not take many pictures but we are ready to go!

This is right across the street from our hotel! Marc and his kung fu moves!

My sleeping angels!?!

The boys have definitely settled in with me. They did not have any problems packing up today! I keep a running dialogue going about getting on a plane tomorrow and we are going to Guangzhou for a few days then we will fly home. I have no idea how much they understand but they are not alarmed like they were when I starting packing in Shenyang. The first thing we packed were their backpacks and laid out their cloths for the plane, then I packed the rest of the stuff while they played together.

Our guide dropped the passports off tonight! As I was checking things over to make sure they were correct I noticed that they were issued on July 21! This is suppose to be what we were waiting for and they were issued a week ago! All I can say is I am glad I have them now!!!!!!

On a lighter note, when I was checking to make sure I had packed everything I found this box tucked way back in the back of the night stand. I pulled it out wondering what it was. It said Emergency kit on it.

Then on the top it says we will get charged if the seal is broken?!? Wondering what it was I turned it over some more and on the other side is an explanation.

Emergency Kit! I guess it would be a good thing to have if you have an emergency!

Can you tell I am ready to come home?!?! It has been fun with the boys but I miss my husband and my other children as well! Next Saturday we will be home at noon!!!!

Day 14 - July 27

Every morning for breakfast they seat us as far as you can get from the food. We have this low table which means the boys are always spilling things. I usually get them a plate with fried rice and whatever meat they have for the day, usually chicken skewers every day plus one or two others and eggs. Then we eat a full plate of watermelon and follow that with yogurt and juice.

Out the window by Marc you can see part of a street market and the arch that was in the pictures yesterday. The market right behind Marc is great to get some things at, the fruit is good but cheaper other places. I got dish soap there and batteries for the boys' toys, they also have water and soda if you want it. So far I have not bought any soda. The boys asked for soda the first few days but I could not tell how much sugar was in it and did not feel they needed to be loaded up on sugar, so we either drink water or fruit juice. (Mostly water)

This is one of the shops in the underground market place, technically you are not supposed to take pictures down there but this shop owner did not mind. Each shop seems to specialize in just a few types of items. The interesting thing is there are a whole lot of little shops that all have the same thing and are in the same area. For example, all the shoe shops are almost all on one floor and all grouped together in the same area. About the third floor down is a cell phone market place and there are at least 50 little shops with cell phones.

The gelato shop would not let me take a picture but we have been there twice. They will give you a sample with little spoons. Max has had Mango both times even though he had other samples and Marc had strawberry both times even though he had other samples. They are getting much better about sharing and do offer each other a couple tastes and Mom a couple tastes. I must say both flavors are refreshing in the heat!


This is the main entrance to the underground Victory Shopping Center between the Saxophone and the Guitar. The green glass covered escalators go down and if you go down to the second floor and then walk in to the middle escalators you will find the gelato shop right by the next escalator down to the third level.

On the right is a KFC and on the left is McDonald's. They actually have a lot more KFC's in China than McDonald's. If you were to keep going straight and into the building directly in front of us and down a story you would get to the really good bakery that is in Dalian New World Market. The prices are great also.

And today is another blue sky day!!! There was a nice breeze out, but it was still
very humid and after walking just a little way it felt like I had just gotten
out of the shower (only much stickier and smelly!)

I just thought it was interesting to see appliances and some of the brands we have at home.

This is a little cake we got at the bakery! Max picked it out, unfortunately he thought he was going to eat the whole thing by himself and got very upset when he found out he was sharing it with Mama and Marc! The frosting tasted sort of like cool whip and it had a couple layers in the middle, one was the frosting and I think the other was raspberry or something similar,
it was really quite good.