journey of a blessed family

Today was a wonderful, relaxing, blessed day. We went to church on Shamian Island and again, as last time I was in China, I was amazed and overwhelmed by hearing the gospel--the true, gospel of Jesus Christ, preached in a country that I thought didn't allow it. This wasn't watered-down, half-truth...but the message of Christ preached to whomever showed up to listen. It was wonderful. Before leaving church, I asked the pastor to pray over G...I thought it extra-special to have a Christian native to his homeland pray for him and I was honored that he obliged to do so.

We spent last night sleeping on the softest bed I can remember (at our friends', The W family's apartment)--for some unknown reason beds in China are HARD...like rock hard...bruise your hipbones by the end of the trip hard! A nice, American mattress was an extra special treat! We enjoyed great company yesterday and today with our friends and their two sweet girls (who are also our friends!); we had pancakes and blueberry muffins for breakfast; Starbucks before church; Played games and puzzles and painted and played play-doh with G; Mr. W and J and I enjoyed an hour-long foot massage (and legs and back and shoulders and neck, really) at a wonderful spa; A delicious Italian dinner; it was an all-around fabulous day! We are so thankful for this respite with the W family--like a vacation in the middle of our trip (which should also seem like a vacation, but the paperwork and the stress of bonding with a new child and traveling in unknown places (with a new child) is really not the vacation you might imagine it to be) The W's have gone far out of their way and above and beyond to welcome us into their home and into their family and to make us feel welcome and rested and loved--we will be eternally grateful and thankful for all they have done! W family--YOU ROCK!!

We will join up with the rest of our travel group (2 families from Beijing and 4 more that we haven't met yet) tomorrow morning and will move back to hotel life and finish up the final pieces of paperwork and formalities (physical exam and visa pictures) And then there's the shopping that MUST be done before we return home! (yes, it's required!!) Our friends introduced us to some markets I was unaware of the last time I was here--I've included a few pics below--'made in china' paradise!! :-) I may need an extra suitcase! (I'm going to try to behave, though!)

G's transition continues to be smooth. Here are some facts we've gathered about G:

• happy, active child
• doesn't like chocolate
• LOVES noodles (but not mac n cheese) and meat
• also LOVES bathtime
• repeats almost everything
• very independent
• eats a hard-boiled egg every morning (and likes to peel it himself...and anyone else's egg, too)
• prefers to sleep without socks (and without covers by morning--feet must be out--HE'S MINE FOR SURE!)
• likes to sing and be sung to
• falls asleep almost every time we're in the car for more than 15 minutes
• likes seeing himself on Skype (and is now beginning to look at the people on the other end of the call as well...)

We're enjoying every minute with him...can't wait to get him home! Gotta get to bed now...even tired at the end of relaxing days...blessings ~ d