Bits and Pieces...

Forgive me if some of these thoughts are redundant...

 

It has been so good to spend time with Bill again. Since there are only 3 families (2 on this leg of the trip), we've had a lot of one-on-one time with him and are getting to know him well. He's a fascinating person. Do you know he's helped place anywhere from 800 to 900 children since he started working for Sunny Ridge in 1996? He has so many stories to tell. We told him he should write a book!

 

Amy was our tour guide in Beijing. I didn't get to know her as well as some of you on Abbie's trip, but she was lovely and fun, and just so full of knowledge about China. She made me want to go out and get a book on the history of China and learn lots more than I already know!

 

We have had Pekiing duck twice already on this trip - yummmm! I am eating so much better on this trip than I ever have! That's OK - I have a feeling David will keep me active and help me work it off!

 

Hannah's group: Bill gave us the sad news that the Lakeview Hotel in Nanchang has been torn down, to be replaced with a bigger, better Lakeview. It made me sad - I was hoping someday to be able to return to the place where I became a mother for the very first time.

 

We will be united with David on Tuesday afternoon our time. While it's been hard to wait the two extra days, it has given us a little extra time to get over jet lag and get ourselves acclimated. We want to be completely ready for our little guy.

 

We have talked to the girls twice via Skype, which has been such a blessing on both ends. We held the laptop up to our hotel window in Beijing, and Rachel exclaimed, "I didn't know they had skyscrapers in China!"

 

We are not able to access our blog, but can get on Gmail, and are able to post that way. I also set up Facebook to post status updates whenever there was a new post to my blog - that's why you're seeing us on Facebook. I can also access Google Reader and read the blogs of the other two families, though we are not able to see the photos. We've come a long way just since our last trip 5 years ago!

 

Shanxi province is known for its vinegar! I have purchased a little bottle I will check through and hope customs doesn't confiscate it!