Back to China: 7 Years Later

I can't believe we have just returned from 7 days in Guangzhou China.  It's been 7 years since we were in China receiving God's blessing of family.  
We were all excited to return to Guangzhou.  This was our last stop when we were in China the first time.  Lily Grace was beside herself with excitement and we were all curious about how it would feel to be back there.  I can say, there were mixed emotions and tons of memories revisited.  
The people were just as kind and sometimes curious.  The city was bustling and congested which made taxi rides interesting and scary at times.  The parks are still just as beautiful and while it was rainy all but one day, it was still warmer than Indiana and the flowers were in bloom.  
Matt and I were excited and very much looked forward to taking Lily Grace to spots we had visited with her before and share stories of those times.  She was was anxious to visit Shaman Island in particular.  The park there is filled with statues of people and children doing various things and she had seen pictures from our first visit.  There is a statue in particular that she was most excited about visiting.  It's a line of children following a teacher who is playing the violin.  When she was a baby, Matt held her in line with the children and I took a picture.  She couldn't wait to go and see that.  I must say, it was a little emotional watching her stand in line with the children on her own, as a seven year old.  
On this visit we also got in a trip to Hong Kong.  Hong Kong is only a two hour train ride from Guangzhou.  Lily Grace enjoyed riding the double decker high speed train.  We visited Stanley Hong Kong at the southern tip and it was really pretty.  It was very mountainous and tropical feeling. The weather was beautiful.  We enjoyed a quick bite at a place called The Cave.  It was the coolest place and the food was great too!
During our stay, we watched a couple of families united in our hotel.  It was quite special and stirred a lot of emotion.  One morning in particular, a couple stopped Lily Grace and I in the elevator and asked if we were there to adopt.  Lily Grace and I smiled and replied that while we were there just for a visit this time, we had done so seven years earlier.  They then shared that they were adopting for the first time.  I could see the fear on their faces, and I'm guessing that's how Matt and I must have looked.  We congratulated them and as we stepped off the elevator, I was reminded that the time flies by from that moment on.  
Lily Grace took the whole trip in stride.  First of all, let me just say that Lily Grace is a traveling pro.  The girl is amazing!  She also kept us laughing. (along with several people she encountered from airport security to, to shop workers, to taxi drivers)  One of our funniest moments happened at dinner.  Lily Grace had been trying out her limited Chinese on everyone, saying hello and in particular thank you in Chinese.  Well, at dinner one night she told the waitress thank you in Chinese to which the waitress replied back several sentences in Mandarin believing that Lily Grace could speak Chinese.  The look on Lily's face was priceless and then to hear her explain to the girl that she doesn't speak Chinese, she's just practicing what she does know was so funny.  I will say, that this happened in the airport too with a security officer and even the Chinese officer thought it was funny, especially considering that the officer could speak both Chinese and English.  
All and all, we had an amazing and memorable trip.  Being back in China was quite different this time and meaningful in different ways.  The one thing about both trips that still remains my favorite part, is the time that we shared alone, halfway around the world as a family.  This trip also reminded us of how blessed we are.  We are blessed to be a family, to live in a free country and to have the abundant natural resources that make our lives easier.  God is certainly good!!
Enjoy the pics! Below you will find a post by Lily Grace.  She loves to type and write and so I let her do her own post while we were away, sharing her take on China. 

I'm telling you, this girl is a traveler.

About to board our flight to Guangzhou China

Lily Grace thought it was so cool that she could watch movies and play games of her choosing on the screen in the back of the seat in front of her.

Yes, she drug Molly Baby all over China.  The Chinese people were a little intrigued with Molly Baby.

She also loved that she had her meals on the plane.  Let's be honest there is nothing to love about those meals. 

The first meal we fed her as a baby in China was congee.  On her agenda was to try Congee on day one for breakfast as her first taste of China. She did just that!  

By the Pearl River

Beautiful parks on Shaman Island

The statute on Shamn Island that she couldn't wait to visit. 

Seven years ago, we took her here as a baby for health examination to leave the country and come home.  

Another beautiful park on Ersha- look at all those flowers

  

You have never seen a southern girl so happy!! One day on the buffet at the hotel, they had boiled (steamed there) peanuts for lunch.  Gracie and I put down three bowls y'all.  For a girl who was making it on rice an potatoes, I couldn't have been happier. 

This is Edward.  He was so sweet and showed us around Guangzhou. He and Lily Grace hit it off.  Here he was trying to teach her to use chopsticks and believe it or not, she told him how to use a fork.  He had never used one before this meal with us.  

Hong Kong

Popular market in Hong Kong: Lily Grace loved this place

Beautiful area and day in Hong Kong

Eating at The Cave: yummy

After a day in Hong Kong, we were back on the train to Guangzhou.

This Catholic Cathedral in Guangzhou was beautiful, both inside and out.

The stain glass inside the cathedral was amazing.  I especially loved the round windows.

I love this sweet statue outside the Catholic church on Shaman Island.

Getting some exercise in Shaman Park

In China, weddings aren't reserved just for Saturdays.  This was on Friday and we counted 5 bridal couples in the park on Shaman Island.

As you all know, Lily Grace isn't shy and here she is joining right  in with the locals. 

In front of the famous Canton Tower

The business district, also where you will find the opera house and Guangzhou library

Relaxing before dinner on our last day

Guest Post: In China with Lily Grace

Blogging from China

Mommy, Daddy & I took three planes to get here in China.  One plane I even had to sleep on!  Well, I pretty much slept on all of the planes.  On the long plane, there was a computer on the back of the seat in front of us.  I played on it the whole ride.

 When we got to the hotel, Mommy told me that I couldn’t drink the water because the water wasn’t filtered properly. I loved the room because it was a suite. The sleeping spot is separated by the TV.  There also was a desk for me to do my work.

 The day after we arrived, we went to Shaman Island first.  Then we went to Ersha Island.  In Sharman Island, we went into a one shop. 

 My experience is very good because on Sharman Island there were many parks & shops.  I loved it there.  Ersha Island was prettier than Sharman Island, but on both of them you can see the water.  The water was very pretty on both though. 

 What its like to be visiting here after being adopted feels great!  Mommy & Daddy have told me a story they haven’t told me before.  It was about me sleeping in Mommy & Daddy’s bed in the hotel. This place is awesome!

 Selfie by the Pearl River on Ersha Island

Family Day in the Windy City

This year we spent Family Day in Chicago.  We had the best time!  We enjoyed a trip to American Girl, The Shedd Aquarium, shopping Michigan Avenue and most of all sharing some special family time together.
Chinese New Year fell the day after Family Day.  Lily Grace woke to the  Year of the Horse and a traditional Red Envelope. 
It's hard to believe that we have been home from China for 7 years now.  Every day is a blessing and as always, we give thanks to God for our family.

Lily Grace couldn't wait to get to the American Girl store.  She brought along LG to get her ears pierced.  (Yes, they do that!)

All went well with LG's ear piercing and both she and Lily Grace were all smiles afterwards. 

Even Daddy couldn't resist posing with "The Girl of the Year," Isabelle.  (Ha!  You are a great sport Matt.)

We visited the Lego store and Lily Grace was so excited to see this life-size sculpture of Olivia from Lego Friends. 

We had a great view during our lunch at the Shedd Aquarium.  

We saw the most AMAZING 4-D movie at the Shedd.  "Sea Monsters," really came to life as we were sprayed with water, enjoyed sound affects and even enjoyed vibrating seats. 

Lily Grace loves dolphins and I loved watching her walk around with her camera trying to capture them.

Thanks for the pic Gracie!

Lily Grace was actually afraid to get too close to the glass of the shark tank. 

Our hotel room was on the 39th floor which made for a great view.

In China, red envelopes are given to children on Chinese New Year wishing them a prosperous new year. 

Gracie was happy to find $10 and 10 RMB inside her red envelope.

FU- good fortune

Celebrating in Chicago

Family Day 7 Years Later

And I thought Connecticut was cold and snowy but.......

The girl can work a snow shovel and we actually have to USE our snow markers here in IN.

both of them...

...completely unaffected

The wind is blowing so hard today that it's created little dunes out of the foot of snow in our backyard.

Coming from the south, this is NOT what you are used to seeing and I never even saw it in CT.  Check out that windchill.  Lily Grace managed herself a snow day from this one for both today and tomorrow. 
Snow days from school don't come easily here.  
Life just moves on.  When is Spring???

Happy New Year!!!! 2014

Happy New Year!  I hope this finds you all ready for a new year.  We've enjoyed the past couple of days celebrating and making memories. 
Scott, Kathy, Lily and Max came to visit and help us ring in the new year.  We have had so much fun!!!!  This was our first time to meet Max.  He was so funny and kind. (and has "the best" model pose around- hilarious!) We can see why his parents speak with pride when they talk about him.  
We enjoyed dinner out, long conversations, staying up until midnight for two nights straight (even the girls managed to hang in there), a girl's day of pottery painting and shopping, a boys day touring Matt's plant and learning about wire (ok..I bet our day was more fun), fireworks, a major snowball fight in the basement and several hours of air hockey that lead to a championship.  Congratulations Max!  
The best part of this New Year's celebration was celebrating with friends who each time they come feel like family.  Friends who see you all put together and in your pj's and could care less either way.  We feel very blessed to live so close to one another and again thank God for this blessing.  
And the girls....oh those two girls.  They have played their hearts out and just as they started their little lives together, this year they started a new year together and that is pretty special.  Kathy and I just said this morning how amazing it is that seven years later here  we are celebrating the beginning of a new year together.  Thanks be to God!
Thanks again "L" family for the memories and laughs.  We'll see you next year!!!!!
Rather than post several pics of this and that over the past days, I'll leave you with a few pics that depict how this visit went, beginning to end.

T-tam!!!!!!  Hurry Back Y'all!

Merry Christmas!

Our latest Nutcracker from the Nutcracker Ballet.  LG named him Greenburg.  

Baking a Red Velvet cake with a mermaid. 

Bob Elf left us a Christmas Eve breakfast along with a letter from Santa granting Lily Grace a very special wish.  She was allowed to open one gift from under the tree early.  

After preparing breakfast, apparently Bob needed an elf bubble bath.

Her early gift was a much hoped for Lego Friends Dolphin Cruiser.

This year Santa got Red Velvet cake.

So excited to have Saige and her horses.

Much of Christmas Day has been spent laughing and playing.  Too bad Santa didn't leave this downstairs in the game room.  Daddy has a big job ahead of him. 

Merry Christmas!  Thanks be to God!