Sun/Mon/Tues

Oh my, I should really blog every day because so much happens. But here goes!

Josie's mirror.

Sunday we visited the Chen Family Ancestral Hall. Apparently the family built this magnificent building and anyone with the last name "Chen" could use it for events and festivities. Our guide told us the last name (or first name in China) "Chen" is as popular as "Smith" in the U.S. It was pretty ornate and fancy. But instead of showing a picture of the complex, I'll just share this one of sweet Josie getting a special mirror. In both our hotels the elevators have mirrors and many of the times she sees herself she just lights up and says "Yun Yun". This is what we found out she was called as a nick name. So, we got her this mirror from the gift shop. It's very pretty with a shellfish cover and butterflies on the top. Maybe not the most super 2 year old friendly gift, but we're going for it.

Monday we went to the Guangzhou Zoo. It's just down the street from the hotel. There aren't that many good pics from the zoo, but this one of a brown bear staring up at TJ was kinda fun. I'm pretty sure it wanted food. It's way easier to sneak food to the animals in this zoo than any I've seen in the States :) We didn't, by the way.

TJ and the Brown Bear

Monday night we were able to take the Pearl River Cruise. So far, Josie has done pretty fabulous when we're out and about, so we've decided to just try all the stuff our agency had offered to us. It's been a good way to get to know the country where two of our children are from. We happen to be here during a lights festival, so much was lighted up on the river edge which made the ride even that much more engaging. There was a juggler on the boat and I will say Josie's least favorite part of the evening was when the juggler grabbed her finger to spin a basketball on top of it. Thankfully, it was short lived and she was in Mama's lap, so she recovered fairly quickly. 

We are in the home stretch!

Tuesday Morning we went to our Consulate Appointment. This is our last bit of formal work here in China. Woohoo! We also took the van to visit Shaiman Island after our Consulate appointment. The trees are SO incredible. I wanted to take pictures of every one. I need to find out what kind they are.

Questionably appropriate tree climbing on Shaiman Island

Josie naps.

On Shaiman Island, we shopped at a store called "A gift from China". In it, were many beautiful items, but something that caught my eye was a book written about a family who were pressured into abandoning their child. It was a short story, written by a Chinese person for an adoptive family who might be able to share it with their child to help their child understand a little bit of the background of an all too typical story. It shares the customs and pressures on families to have a son to carry on the family name and take care of the parents when older and of the one child policy here to slow down population growth. It also tells of the birth parents agony in making the decision to release their child to someone else's care. To not abandon the child means accepting a life that few of us can even imagine living. I am convinced that the decision to leave one's child on a doorstep of a stranger or in a public place with the hopes they will be found, is not one the majority of birth parents in China take lightly at all. My strong suspicion is that they make this decision out of a place of sheer desperation in a culture of governmental control and influence that has made it so extremely difficult to make any other decision. My heart breaks for Josie and Ben's birth parents and I wish they could know what remarkable people they were a part of creating. 

On that note, it is also remarkable to be a part of God's redemptive plan for these little munchkins to belong to a family. We are so blessed to know them. I'll end with a few highlights from the past few days.

Josie has continued to have full nights rest and good naps when we're in the hotel. It is quite amazing. 

And a bit adorable too.

Josie likes to have her backpack with her everywhere she goes. Comfort. However, since she started riding in the pack TJ has been the delegated backpack holder. He's starting to feel like a personal assistant. Yesterday I asked if it felt like Josie was his sister yet. He said "yes". When asked to expound he said "Because she used to be just cute, but now she's cute and a little annoying." (He really wants her to carry her own backpack)

We take vans almost everywhere and we have used baby sign language to help communicate to her what is about to happen. It is so fun now to explain something to her and her nod her little head quickly and just ever so slightly. I am sure she is thankful too :)

This is where we eat breakfast everyday. I have completely become accustomed to the amazing scenery and smorgasbord of food choices, along with no prep or clean up. Josie has too. Even though life in MN will be different, we wouldn't trade being home for any waterfall or koi fish pond in the world. 

Josie took a while to realize it was OK to take a bath. Once she's in and adjusted, she seems to really enjoy it. She even dumps water on her own head to get the shampoo out! This is one of my new favorite pictures!