In China
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Sunday, September 5, 2010 This morning we awoke and excitement was in the air. We are one day closer to bringing Bella into our family. We got our luggage packed and placed outside our door for group pick-up. At breakfast, we could sense the excitement and anticipation in the air. Today was the day that our large travel group would split off into smaller groups and fly to our children’s specific provinces. After breakfast we met in the lobby and quickly took care of checkout, luggage, and temporary goodbyes. We made our way to the airport and swiftly went through security without incident. As we loaded the plane and began to gain momentum down the runway, my heart raced and my stomach churned with anticipation. We were leaving the area that our little Bella has resided in under the care of Harmony Outreach and were heading to the province in which she was born. I know that today is the day that she will also be saying goodbyes to her friends, her nannies, and the only home she has ever known. She will board a train and travel to a new destination – a family. I am reminded that with adoption comes wonderful gain and immense loss. Once we arrived in Henan, we got settled into our hotel. Then we decided to walk to the nearby Walmart in order to purchase some water, some snacks, and baby supplies. As we walked, I found myself looking deeply into the eyes of the people – thinking that any one of these pedestrians could be related to our future daughter. Then, the rain clouds opened up and brought me back to the moment with a burst of rain peltering down on us. It was a swift walk to Walmart and a wet one at that. Once in Walmart, instead of being greeted by an elderly, smiling, individual in a blue apron, we were greeted by raw, whole duck and chicken hanging out for the picking. The aromas in the air are now familiar as this is our fourth time here; but the hanging slabs of meat always give me a surprise. After shopping, the rain picked up again and blasted us the entire walk home. We arrived back at the hotel, drenched with water and full of laughter. We put our goods away and then went to dinner. We found ourselves at a wonderful Sichuan Restaurant and due to the size of our group, we were treated like VIP and given a private room (we tell ourselves it was because of the size of our group- though it could have been that we looked like drenched puppies just in from the rain. Bryan and our travel buddy, Dave, pretty much chose and ordered the entire dinner. We were curious to see what type of response each dish would bring. We ate a cold, spicy rabbit dish; a black bean squid dish; a Sichuan chicken dish that was ultra spicy; a bamboo shoot- beef dish; tangy jellyfish; as per Bryan - a “hotter than snot” beef tripe dish; a sticky rice dish; baked whole fish with spicy peppers; a mushroom, onion and shredded pork plate; a curry, mushroom and chicken dish; and lots of steam rice to tame our torched mouths. It was a fun time with lots of laughs. I am really missing home. I miss Brady, Brooklyn, Bethany, and Braxton. I know that they are in exceptional care, and yet I miss them so much. We will continue to embrace each moment and hold hostage our fears. Tomorrow brings great promise and brings us one step closer to home.

Saying Goodbye to our Guide- George Eager Anticipation Our Home Away from Home Interesting Finds at Walmart

Blueberry Pringles, Anyone?


It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time


The Private Room for the Drenched Americans


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