TIME TO GO HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!

19 March 2009 - Thursday

Today we leave to go back to Hong Kong for the night and then we fly home on Friday. We had a wonderful trip but are ready to come home as we miss everyone so much. Desneiges is also ready to come home - she helped with the packing! She is such a joy - we can't wait for you to meet her. God has blessed us with a wonderful daughter!

U.S. Consulate Day

18 March 2009 - Wednesday

Today we went to the Pearl Market in the morning. Before leaving the hotel, we took pictures of our group in the executive lounge. In the afternoon we traveled to the U.S. Consulate building (about 30 minutes drive away). Here we got the visa and passport for Desneiges, then had the U.S. Consulate Ceremony. We have no pictures as it is STRICTLY not allowed. We said good bye to one of our group that had to leave for home. We will miss our group as we have made many very nice friends.

Last Day at Shamian Island

17 March 2009 - Tuesday

Today we spent our day at Shamian Island. We picked up items we had ordered, had a nice dinner on the lake, and spent time with a local shop owner and his wife. We learned a lot about how they live over tea. Spent the evening starting to pack for our trip home.

DESNEIGES IS BECOMING COMFORTABLE AS PART OF OUR FAMILY

16 March 2009 - Monday

Today was another free day. Desneiges is really beginning to crawl around the room and pull herself up on things. Lots more smiles and interaction. One of our guides, upon seeing this, told us that is a sign that she is becoming part of our family. She has really taken to Tawni and is now going to Laith more often - Tawni can actually leave her line of sight while she is with Laith and she will not cry. This is improvement. She is responding to her name - Desneiges - when we say her name (never did respond to SiSi). She is such a good girl - just adorable and full of personality. She likes to study things - passes them back and forth in her hands, turns them over to see all sides. We went shopping again today. Desneiges now has 19 pairs of squeaky shoes spanning a broad range of sizes - they are so cute! She has daddy wrapped around her finger already. We are in love.

FIRST TRIP TO THE ZOO FOR DESNEIGES

15 March 2009 - Sunday

Today we went to the Guangzhou Zoo with our group. We had a lot of fun. Laith went into the monkey den, they had him hold food up in his hand, and a monkey jumped up on his head - captured it all on video. Fun to see. Saw the panda bear and few other animals. Desneiges slept through most of it as it was her nap time. She woke up near the end and was able to enjoy the zoo with us.

Free DAY

14 March 2009 - Saturday

Desneiges is feeling better today - only has a cold. Today we had a free day on our own. We went to do more exploring with friends from our group. The shops and people here are very interesting. So is the food.

DESNEIGES AND MOM STAYED AT HOTEL

13 March 2009 - Friday

Desneiges and mom stayed at the hotel all day as Desneiges was sick with a 100-102.5 temperature -lots of bonding time. The air was quite thick that day also. Laith went sightseeing with the group to Six Banyan Temple, Five Rams Stone Status, and Zhenhai Tower. Zhenhai Tower was built in 1380 when General Zhuliang ruled over Guangdong in the Ming Dynasty.