We're in Guangzhou

So thankful to be writing from Guangzhou where we are staying in a PALACE!  This is by far the nicest hotel I have ever seen in my life - nicer than the Waldorf Astoria in NYC even!  We are now in a group of four families, although CCAI also has another group here of 16 other families, so we see them a lot too.  I have met up with two families whom I was anticipating seeing here - Jamie I met on the deaf china adopt yahoo group and the other, Robin, had my sweet friend Yvonne (a Chinese native who works with me for Love Without Boundaries) as her guide in Hunan!  It's been so wonderful to now be able to share this experience with other families, have someone to eat dinner with, and just hang out!

Yesterday morning we had the medical checks for the children and the TB tests.  Thankfully this adoption trip we do not have to do immunizations in China, as the US government changed the laws on that for all children under the age of 10.  So, one small prick for the TB test was the only thing that made Gabe cry, and he was over it in about 15 seconds with a piece of candy for bribery! ;-)

Since we were on the island (where we use to stay in Guangzhou, where everyone speaks English and there is a ton of shopping!) we stayed there for the remainder of the morning/afternoon walking around doing some shopping, eating lunch, etc.  We were able to borrow strollers from a store (didn't even have to leave our names or money - they knew we'd be back) and Robin and I (the lady from Hunan) just strolled around the island all day.  The kids were great, and it was SO NICE to talk to an adult!  Robin was alone in her province as well, and is here without her husband, so we have had an instant connection :-)

Last night we met up with all the CCAI families to walk to a very nice restaurant for dinner.  Everything was very tasty, and Gabe ate up a storm.  He was signing away for everything he wanted - it's really so easy to communicate with him - he's very expressive and using his signs well.  He spent a lot of time watching people eat, and by half way through the dinner he had picked up his chopsticks and learned how to use them!  I think he now uses chopsticks better than me!! :-)

Anyway, today we are off to the Buddhist temple and some other city sights, and then we do some more paperwork in the afternoon.  Today is Sunday, and we leave on Wednesday night to start our journey home so - YEAH, YEAH, YEAH - only four days left including today!!!!