DAY AT THE BEACH

Go Ducks!

Yesterday, Kaui jumped into our pool. It didn't matter that she does not know how to swim. She had no fear... but we did! Today we went to Polo Beach. Again, Kaui didn't have a care in the world and no fears about going into the ocean. She loved the waves and played endlessly. Earlier in the day, our son Shea was looking at a hard cover picture book showing Kaui beautiful landscapes of China. Shea said "isn't this beautiful?" and Kaui pointed out our picture window to the ocean and said "beautiful!"

WE ARE HOME!

Just look what God blessed us with.

Kaui is so sweet

Friends from North Carolina

Rebecca our Guangzhou guide.

Our kids bonded immediately. We were met at the airport by our family presenting Kaui with balloons and flowers. As soon as we got home, Kaui opened a bunch of christmas gifts. She was thrilled after opening the first gift thinking that was it. When we told YaFang she had more presents under the tree, her eyes just lit up and she had the most beautiful smile. Thanks to daughter Desiree and fiance Ryan and daughter-in-law Marie, and son Shea for helping us with Maile and Makena while we were in China. We love you all! We met many families bringing home their sons and daughters from China. A few had been there before and decided to switch over to the SN route. At the swearing in ceremony the room was packed with families ready to go home to start a new and wonderful life with their adopted children.

Last Day!

We were looking forward to the Safari Zoo today but it rained again today so Rebecca, our guide, said we should visit one of the biggest malls in Asia the Grandview Plaza. It was big all right and beautiful. On the 6th floor there is an amusement center sort of like a mini county fair in doors. Very impressive. We played games and went on rides. On the 5th floor is an ice skating ring. Little did we know Ya Fang had no problem ice skating. Her athletic abilities are amazing. Dale cannot wait to take her skiing!

Enjoy our pictures. One is of Ya Fang helping our friends Danny and Emily from Alabama feeding their baby. The others are Ya Fang on ice skates for the first time! Very easy she said. The last is us leaving the mall.

We leave tomorrow for Maui. It was such a fantastic journey to receiving our third daughter from China. I must say if you are thinking about adopting an older child, think no further. We had no meltdowns during breakfast, lunch or dinner. Ya Fang is truly God's blessing.

P.S. Ya Fang's best friend Niu Niu is available. She was with Ya Fang on "Gotcha Day." She is beautiful and very sweet. You can e-mail me if you are interested.

(Photos of YaFang & NiuNiu on Gotcha day - click here.)

Consulate Appointment

Not only did we have the consulate appointment today, but we also did the swearing in ceremony all in one day!!! According to our guide, the US Embassy decided to close early tomorrow so they moved the swearing in this afternoon. If we had known that, we would have made our airplane reservations to come home on December 31. We did go on the internet to see if there were flights, but no avail. We went on the boat ride on the Pearl River. We went on this cruise in 2007, however this time the boat was bigger, the Chinese food great, and we watched a juggling act which was very entertaining. Tomorrow more shopping and the next day, weather permitting, we go to the famous Safari Zoo about an hour from Guangzhou. Almost everyday since we have been here we have had rain.

Four-Day Countdown

This morning after our daily buffet breakfast at the White Swan Hotel we went to the medical center to check on YaFang's TB test results. The size was bigger than norm so YaFang had take a chest X-ray. The X-ray showed her lungs were clear. Thank God! We will have to take the film back with us to Maui with the rest of our packet. We spent the rest of the day at a beautiful botanical garden with our guide Rebecca, another couple from Montgomery, AL, and their 17-month-old daughter. The weather was beautiful. The first day we have seen blue skies since we left home 12 days ago.

Free Day

YaFang surprises us every day. She is organized and gets after mom for not putting things away. Our guide was in our room and she asked "Who made this mess?" YaFang learned to dance and did gymnastics in school. She proudly showed us her moves. She also has a fantastic singing voice and loves art. We are very blessed.

Today, our friend Sandy traveled three hours by train to spend the day with us. We met her in Hunan when we adopted Maile. We've stayed in touch with Sandy throughout the years. She is such a beautiful young woman.

Medical Examination Day

Ya Fang had no problems with receiving the vaccinations. She had four shots total plus a TB test. Eye test went well. Doctor noted that her teeth has cavities which is understood. What we were very surprised to find was Ya Fang's heartbeat is normal. She didn't have the irregular heart beat that was reported as her special needs. The first doctor looked at her past medical report and had to called in the heart specialist to confirm that Ya Fang's heart was indeed beating normally. Can't wait to go home to get our doctor's opinion.