Red Couch Photos

Here are some of the red couch pictures. Enjoy!!! Today we had the swearing-in at the US consulate. Karli will now be a US citizen when we land in New Jersey. The next post will be from home with all of the family under one roof. We leave in less than 12 hours. Yay!!!

Almost Finished!!!

Our Consulate Appointment is finished. The American government has approved our paperwork and given it's permission for us to bring Karli home. We now have to go to the swearing-in ceremony where we receive Karli's official US visa and the infamous Brown Envelope which contains all of her paperwork. We will be given strict orders NOT to open this envelope and to hand it directly to the immigration officials at the airport in Newark. This paperwork will be used to guarantee her status as a US citizen, and we will be sent her Certificate of Citizenship. The girls played at the park again today. Every time we go there, they are the center of attention. Everyone takes pictures of them and tries to talk to them, Kylie especially. We ate at Lucy's for the last time since we have elected to eat at the hotel this evening with the rest of the group as a farewell kind of party. Today we will have the red couch photo which is a tradition in the adoption world. The adoptive kids in the travel group are dressed in Chinese outfits and sit on a red couch for pictures. This time, we are having the older sisters also dress in Chinese outfits and be in the photo. I am packed except for the few essentials we still need, and am shocked that everything fits back inside the suitcases without me having to purchase another one. We be OK as long as the zipper holds until we get home!!! Less than 24 hours until we begin the L-O-N-G (more than 31 hours) trip home. Hopefully, the girls will sleep most of the flight from Beijing to Newark since we leave Beijing at 5 pm and our bedtime here is 8 pm or earlier. I'll try to post once more before I have to pack up the computer.

Medical Appointment

Today we went to the medical appointment to get Karli's physical for the American visa. Karli did not like having the doctors and nurses examine her. We then completed all of the paperwork for the American Consulate to apply for the visa. After that, we went to the Pearl Market where I bought Karli a necklace and a pair of earrings. We ate lunch at Pizza Hut. The girls played at the park for a while. We finished up our shopping, and Kylie got some gifts for her friends. We came back to the hotel, and finished up the day with a bubble bath. Both girls were asleep by 8:00. Tomorrow we have nothing planned, so we are going to explore the island some more.

Goofing Off in Guangzhou

Today we had a leisurely day. The slept late (7 am), ate an awesome breakfast, played in the playroom at the hotel, and went sightseeing. The White Swan has a playroom provided for the children; it is sponsored by Mattel toys. The girls had fun playing in there. Then we went to the Chen Family Academy. I had already been there when we adopted Kenzie, but Kylie had not. Next, we went to a friendship store. This is a store run by the government, so you can be sure you are not getting ripped off. I bought Karli a jade pendant. I had purchased one last year for Kenzie, so I wanted to get one for Karli. When we got back to the hotel, Karli had a little nap. Then we went walking around the island. We browsed through a few stores and played at the park. For supper, we ate at Lucy's again. I have a feeling we will be eating there a lot this week. Now the girls are watching Surf's Up on TV. Tomorrow we are going to the medical appointment and to get the visa photo. We are also going to complete the paperwork for the American Consulate.

Ni Hao from Guangzhou and the Glorious White Swan Hotel!

Today we left the hotel in Nanjing for a short 2 hour
flight to Guangzhou. At the airport, we encountered a
problem. After getting my girls checked in for the
flight, we were told that my ticket had been canceled
by the hotel (where it was purchased on Tuesday). AND
the plane was full. There was a lot of calling back
and forth between our guide, Sandra, and the hotel
business center. Eventually, I decided to ask if the
first class still had seats available. Yes there
were, but it cost $1800 rmb (about $280). I had
Sandra let me speak to the business center and told
them to get me on that flight within 10 minutes even
if they needed to purchase me a first class ticket.
Miraculously (insert sarcasm here), there was a seat
still open, and the problem was solved. We made our
plane with about 15 minutes to spare. Karli did well
on the flight. She did not want to buckle at first.
In China, seat belts are not used, so being restrained
was something new for her. She did sleep about half
of the flight. We had to check the stroller with the
luggage, so I put the kid leash on Karli to keep up
with her. She liked being free to walk on her own and
pull the little rolling backpack we brought for her.
Kylie was a big help carrying things. When we arrived
in Guangzhou, the weather was great. It is warm here;
we wish we had brought shorts. We checked into our
room with a river view then went to eat at Lucy's.
For those who are unaware of the importance of Lucy's,
this is where you can eat some American food. We
ordered Quesadillas, french fries, and mashed
potatoes. For some mediocre food, it sure tasted
great. Then we walked around looking at all of the
little shops. I ordered some etchings and paintings
in a bottle with Karli's picture. We sure are glad to
be one step closer to coming home. Plus we are in
an awesome hotel. As Kylie said, "This is paradise
compared to where we were." Tomorrow we are going
sightseeing with the other families.