HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are home safely and Friday the 13th didn't make us have trouble... although it through us some loups we almost lost some luggage and we spilled things alot. But other than that we are ok. We are so happy to be home!

A fun day

Sharlet, Bethany, and Quinn

Having tea

The Chen house

Sharlet and I infront of a bush cutting before entering the Chen house

the trimmed bushes

We went on a subway and I was amazed. The subway is really clean, no graffiti, no dirt. The subway is behind a glass wall so you can still see, but no dirt from the train or things flying out. In the rush to catch the subway we all got separated. My mom and I and a few other people got on the subway and the door closed. All we could do was watch the subway doors close. Our interpreter/guide Zhou was giving us hand signals, like putting up 2 fingers then showing another finger to symbolize getting off at the second stop. I wasn't worried the worst thing that would happen is that we see them zip by and they all wave and we have to get back on. The subway took us to the Chen Ancestral House. Chen is my Aunt Yvonnes last name. The Chen house is very beautiful. We had some traditional tea including oolong tea, jinsing, and jasmine. It was really fun to have tea, my favorite kind was oolong. Charlotte is practically 5 and she is one of my friends from the trip. We were playing hopscotch with a flower blossom while at the Chen House. After seeing the Chen House we went to take a group picture in front of an indoor waterfall at the White Swan. We walked around to some of the shops at the hotel. I used my money to buy a panda bear necklace for 90 yuan. All day we have been seeing couples get there pictures taken in wedding dresses and tuxedos in the park area outside our hotel. We have been told that some couples wait as much as five years to get there wedding picture done. In the evening we went to an Italian restaurant. We are looking forward to getting home and seeing our friends and family. You don't realize how much you will miss the people in your life until you have been away for a while.

Doctor Appointment... The First

Quinn went to her first doctor appointment, it was very different in a way... there was 3 rooms with 3 doctors each a different stage in the appointment. The first one we went to was an eye and ear exam. How they tested the ears was squeaking a toy in her ear, which made me think doesn't that hurt? But Quinn did not show signs of that. Questions and answers were very fast and written down, the eyes where tested with a light and a toy moving back and forth. The second stage was more of a physical exam, Quinn had her head measured, her feet where looked at, legs, belly and her overall appearance. The nurse wanted to see her walk and say mama and baba. (dad) She completed both tasks in a breeze. She then went to the third exam and this was a weight and height exam, she had gained two pounds in a week! Although this was fast, it is good that she is putting on weight. They measured her and we didn't get to see what the height was, but they also measured her feet, that was the last of the three exams. All in all she was just wonderful, she did what she was told and didn't shed a tear! She just amazed us, we all really thought that she would cry once... or twice.

A Laid Back Day

We all didn't feel well so we just stayed at the hotel room that day, watched movies in English, on the movie channel and really just regrouped ourselves but tomorrow we will be out and about, ready to explore. That is really just it. Quinn had a hard night coughing and we didn't want to risk it and I was OK for alittle bite in the hotel room but then into the bathroom I ran I felt better after that but I wasn't going to risk it either. Quinn will cry for hours in bed from a dream about something and cry and cry we feel so bad it either was a night mare or just a dream about her old home and everything she left it is really heart breaking to see her cry for that and we cant help her in any way other than to just comfort her in our arms. but she is asleep during the crying and you can never tell if she is really awake or not but she will cry in her sleep for hours and hours. It brings me to tears. She is really a sweet baby.

Walking around town

Everyone at the pearl market

Puppies at the street market. Yes I wanted to buy one but my mom said no how would we fit it on the plane?

Looking down the street market the spice side

Mommy, Daddy, Quinn, and Bethany.

Today has been fun, we met up with all the other families, which we have been longing to do. All the kids are beautiful and handsome, yes we do have a family that adopted a little boy. But it is really a beautiful island, everyone is really nice and it is just wonderful. We went to a street market with all kinds of spices and dried fruits and vegtables. Our guide, Zhou, bought some chesnuts from a street vendor who was cooking them in a wok. There was a section of the street that had pet store type goods, it was really very cool. That was where I viewed, the puppies in crates and the fish were in styrafoam boxes and birds in cages. It wasn't that different than an open pet store. The spices where all in bins and big sacks (including mushrooms as big as a garbage can lid)that you could buy. We then went to the pearl market and my mom got Quinn and I REAL pearl necklaces with matching braclets. We won't get them until I am 10/now or 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or 15 or 16, or maybe now, and the same with Quinn. Tomorrow we will go to Quinns medical check.

Flying To Guangzhou

We went down to eat breakfast, then went up and then down to go wander the hotel, but Quinn thought that we where going to go outside sense that was our routine for the last few days. It was so loud! She threw a tantrum and screamed and hung onto the door handle, then just to calm her down before we go on the plane ride, we didn't want to put her on a plane like that we took her outside. But my mom regrets it she is like "Oh I hope I didn't teach her a bad habit!" and now she has said that will never happen again. Quinn is a very good traveler, she slept all the way there and woke up when we got there. She is happy and the rooms are very nice! There is a living room and a king bed, with a small bathroom. THE BEDS ARE SOFT!!!!

The Zoo

Mommy, Daddy, Bethany, and Quinn

Mommy and Quinn

Daddy and Quinn

Aunt Mary and Quinn

Ostrich

Ducks and their baby's

Monkeys

Penguins

Yak

Fish

Hippo

Quinn brushing her teeth

Today we went to the zoo, Quinn was in her stroller, but we took her out just when we knew she couldn't see the animals. She is such a sweet a baby! We saw the rooster, Quinn's sign. Also we saw two tigers! That is my sign, we saw monkeys, snakes, hippos, donkey, wolfs, leopard, pandas, and ducks/swans. We also got to feed coy fish, Quinn tried to eat the fish food though. That was a really cool experience for Quinn I think. She smiled and laughed alot while we where there. Her smiles can lighten anyone up. After we went to the zoo, we went to pizza hut, for a American meal. Our interpreter Mary went with our driver to a Chinese restaurant for a Chinese meal. She then meet us back at Pizza Hut, then we went back to the hotel. Our day was low key and fun!! It had finally stopped raining today so we really lucked out! Quinn also wanted to brush her teeth and she was really good at it. Quinn has grown and made leaps and bounds in these couple days. I am amazed! She talks and her face is filling in, she has gained a couple pounds, and is becoming a three year old more and more every day!!!! She started out as a little rose bud, and is blooming so fast. WE LOVE HER SOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!

See you all soon!