Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Hello family and friends! Another day is behind us - they seem to just fly by! We started the day in a special way - - having an I-chat with Uncle Matt, Aunt Ann, Owen, Emily and new baby Andrew! The tour today was a return to the Chen Family Academy (also known as the Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family) so that Gramma B and Pappa could visit an historic Chinese site. It is very interesting, and beautiful - - it also serves as a museum featuring art from the Guangdong Province.

By the time we returned to the hotel it was time for lunch and Anna Kathryn's nap (she continues to be a great sleeper), which gave us down-time as well. Gramma B took Adrienne to the pool and I napped a bit. We had a fun surprise visit from a close friend of Uncle Matt and Aunt Ann . . . Trey is in Guangzhou on business and was kind enough to drop by the White Swan to say hello and meet Anna Kate! How nice it was to see a face from home! He had the opportunity to observe the Red Couch photo shoot - - a great tradition for adoptive families and always entertaining! It isn't a red couch photo without some tears!

Dinner was - - you guessed it - - from Lucy's (which means tomorrow is - - you guessed it - - Pappa John's!), followed by Anna Kate's least favorite activity . . . a bath. Oh, she got so upset tonight and I felt terrible. I think we'll have to do sponge baths for a while until she can get used to the water. She is just the sweetest thing and it breaks my heart to have her cry. We've been so blessed by her easy and fun nature.

As you know, Joe and I have hosted websites now for several years, and I've always admired the families who really journal from the heart. I have so many thoughts about this miracle - - adoption - - and how life-changing it is, but don't seem to have the words right now to express it all. Perhaps in the future I will . . .

Big Sis Blog (written Monday)

To my cousins and friends . . . Thank you for your comments in the guestbook! I can’t wait to see you when I get home. China is great! I wish you could see it. I love breakfast here. I love the bacon here. It’s delicious! Anna Kate is great. Today I have a pool play date with Zoe. We love to play tag. I miss you guys. Guess what? To our surprise, Anna Kate stood up, and cruised across the French doors! She even switched from the French doors to the tv cabinet.