WE ARE HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After being up 31 hours straight, we are home, not unpacked, our bags didn't not make it on our plane to Boise from Seattle. Oh well, they are being delivered later tonight. Emma's in her new bed and we are heading there shortly. Will post more when we are somewhat back to normal.

Thanks to everyone and their prayers.

Eric, Jenn, and Emma

Good-Bye China, Hello Idaho

We leave Beijing early in the morning 8:20 AM about 6:20 PM your time, and arrive home 5:20 PM your time.
This will be the last post until we arrive back home.

Emma finally had a major meltdown tonight at dinner. We think she was just really tired, we hope. We went back to motel but she would not go to bed until 8:00 tonight.
Hope all goes good tomorrow on the planes and transfers.

See you all soon.
Eric, Jenn, Emma, Evelyn

In and Around Shamain Island.

Where we have been staying the last week is an "island." It is a man made island because water surrounds it. It is very colonial in style, and has many statues with children displayed playing, running, etc.... Many of the locals go and play games, sing, exercise, and do Tai Chi. We saw the gentlemen below, but just standing there, completely still like statues. I guess they were praying or meditating.
Here are some of the statues on the island.

Eric, showing them really how to use the abacus.

Evelyn, negotiating her next shopping purchase.

Jenn wants to know how to get to the mall.

Many courtyards where people gather.

Very tropical, and hot and humid. Have we said how hot and humid it is here?
Something was lost in the translation, I think.

River Boat Dinner Cruise

Front row view from second floor of the river boat.

Majority of the people on the second floor were from our CCAI Agency. The rest were Chinese people enjoying the cruise too. Although we did not enjoy their cultural habits of cutting in line at the dinner buffet. Seemed like we were going no where in line, because we would wait for the person ahead of you to get what they wanted, and then somebody else would sneak in there to have some too.

Looking in from the outside.

Views of the river and land from the boat.

This boat was very similar to the one we were riding on.

Night time on the pearl river is pretty spectacular.

This area is where we spent a lot of time walking at night when it is cooler.

The White swan Hotel is in the background.

One building kept flashing Olympic mascots on it. Now if we were here for the Olympics we would know the names of the mascots (our guides would be disappointed in us,) but we could call them Emma for now.

Replica of the Golden Gate Bridge, maybe?!?!

Part of the precious Cargo on board.

Evelyn has been one of the most important parts of the cargo on board, that has helped us all throughout our trip, and has taken many of the photos.

Our Last Day in Guangzhou

It is Friday AM here, yes this is our last full day in Guangzhou, we just have one last appointment at the US consulate to take the oath that we will not abandon her. Later on this afternoon we will start packing (we bought an extra suitcase for Emma to use), one last shopping trip, and then be ready to leave our suitcases outsides our room at 5:00 AM Saturday morning. Our flight leaves Guangzhou around 8:20 AM. We fly to Beijing then Seattle, and onto Boise. Sorry for the short post. Not much else going on here in China for us. I will add some pictures to our blog when we get back home. For some reason we have been cut off from posting to blogger from China. We can see the site but cannot access the sign on page to post anymore. Thanks to my sister Pam for posting the last couple of posts for us. We can't wait to be home and see everybody as we can. We will be slowly phasing Emma in to our routine and Family and friends, so she doesn't get overwhelmed. And of course the jet lag will be hard on all of us as the return trip is the worst, so we have been told. Thanks again to everyone and your e-mails and posts to the site. We love you all and will see you in a few days.
Eric, Jenn, Emma, and Evelyn

Blog Troubles

Hello from Auntie Pam!

Eric and Jenn are having trouble accessing their blog right now.
They have lots of good pictures from around the island and a dinner cruise on the Pearl River that they are anxious to show everyone.

Eric will keep trying to post. So just keep on checking back :) !

Visa and Exam Day

Our Day started out today with breakfast as usual and Emma actually sat on Mama's lap while she fed her. We are making progress everyday with getting closer and closer to Jenn. She still has flickers of oh, Mama's too close, but fewer and fewer.

We had visa pictures first thing this morning and physical exams all for the immigration process. Luckily we were the first group of families at the clinic , because when we left an hour later, there were three -four times as many families waiting to be seen by the exam doctors.

Emma was poked and prodded,measured and weighed, and eyes, ears, and nose checked.

Here she was being weighed, and the grand total was..............................22 lbs. She weighs three more lbs than the last report we had gotten before we came to get her. We weren't told much more info other than that and guessed everything was normal or they would have told us.

While Jenn went to our guides room at the White Swan Hotel, Emma and Eric went swimming on the 10th floor of our hotel. Emma did fine much to my surprise. I didn't think she would like getting in the water, because of our bathing experiences.

We went to a local cafe for some Chinese style American food. My in-laws John and Evelyn know a former pastor at their home church that has spent some time teaching English to University students in Guangzhou. He recommended "Lucy's Cafe," and had brought an Idaho License plate back to them to display. There were many other plates from other states and locations all over the restaurant.

All over Shamain Island (where we are staying, along the pearl river) are statues of different figures, we saw this one as Jenn likes pug dogs, and had to pose with Emma on him. Also in the background is a stroller that Emma now decide she was ok with. Baba is sure happy with her decision to ride in the stroller now. Actually his back is happiest of all.

Not as much happening tomorrow. We are taking a trip to a Pearl Market, for a lesson in pearls, and probably another opportunity to buy some for Emma, for when she is older.

Thanks again for all of the emails and posts. We can't wait to get back home.

Eric, Jenn Emma, and Evelyn.

Tour and Red couch day.

This will be more of photo journal today, of a tour we took and the rest of the special day in Guangzhou.

China has a lot of interesting culture and history to it. The above is a 17 story tall Buddhist Pagoda at a Buddhist Temple. I say it is interesting just because it is that, and because of our different Christian beliefs. We could have had Emma blessed by a monk but chose not to.

We took this picture just to save a snap shot of what some of the people in China worship. Many Chinese were here offering there prayers and burning incense to three of these 30ft tall 10 ton figures. They left offerings of oranges, apples, flowers, Coca Cola, Bottled water and 20 Bags of rice, etc..............(were many of the things we saw left for them.)

These next pictures are of our next stop called the Chen Family Temple. It was very ornate as seen in these pictures. This probably one of the only family temples left standing in Guangzhou. It was one of the biggest and ornate.

There were many detailed and artistic carvings made from wood, ivory, bone, and jade. There was also many embroidered pictures that we were not able to take pictures of because it was thought that the colors would fade from the flash photography. The carving above was out of ivory, though now outlawed to carve from ivory.

One of many different ornate fans.

Emma after a refreshing drink of water, Ahhhhh!

We are staying at the Victory Hotel in Guangzhou, but many families that adopt from China stay at a Hotel Called the White Swan. These pictures are at the White Swan, with an indoor water fall and pond.

Grandma Evelyn, Eric, and Emma in front of the water fall at the White Swan.

One of several ornate Jade carving at the White Swan.

Cousin Lauren, your not the only one that can do tricks with your eyes.

Red couch pictures in silk dresses and or outfits are a tradition for adopted children before they leave China. We were lucky to get this picture of Emma before she knew what was going on.

Here is one of our groups represented by CCAI children. Emma was tired and hungry at this point in the early evening (and probably a little mad for being left alone with all of her adopted friends.


Mom and Dad with Emma on the red couch.

This is the pearl river outside the White Swan Hotel it is the third biggest river in China. Almost all of the buildings along the river are lit up at night.

Well that was our day. Tomorrow is more paper work and applications for visas and a medical exam for all the children, and also a free afternoon. Maybe swimming on the 10th floor of our hotel, naps, or shopping.

Eric, Jenn, Emma and Evelyn.

Guangzhou and Pictures

This was the Legend Hotel where we stayed in Lanzhou.

Here is the Victory Hotel in Guangzhou. Very nice accomodations.

Here is our plane waiting for us in Lanzhou. We had a transfer in Xian (not sure what province right now, I'll have to find out) They made us get off the plane get new boarding passes, wait for 30 minutes and re-board. They gave us back our old boarding passes before getting back on the plane?!?!?!?!???!??!!??!?!?!?

Emma's first plane ride. She did great!!! Not a peep at all going up or down on two legs of the flight.

A look out the window going over mountins through China. China is actually a very mountainous country for the most part.

Looking out onto the courtyard below our rooms on the 5th floor. We will take more pictures later of the hotel and post them. There is a pool on the 10th floor as well. It should come in handy as it is very, very, very humid and hot here.