Americans!

Today was our first full day in Guangzhou and it started off with a new breakfast buffet (I will miss my fried rice and dumplings from Haungzhou) and many Americans with their new adopted Chinese children. We met the other 7 families from Lifeline, and a few families from other agencies. It's nice not to be the only big white guy around :) This hotel is amazing! If you want to check it out, here is their website. All 7 of us are staying in the same room/suite. The room is very big, even with 2 roll away beds added. The only difficulty comes with the whole bathroom issue. But we're all family, right? Our view is still of apartments and a few shops. Again, the skyline is "misty" and we can't see that far in the distance. After breakfast we took a walk outside in the garden, alongside numerous koi ponds and 2, four story tall waterfalls. The kids were so happy to be outside. Eliza, SongLian, and I went with the other families to the clinic for medical exams for visas. Very, very thankful that Nonna was with us so the other 3 could stay at the hotel and swim. SL did great with her exams. I could tell she was heavy carrying her around, but the exam confirmed that she is 42 lbs. Now I don't feel so bad about my arms and back getting tired carrying her and Josiah around for a week. A pretty routine visit, but at the end SL had to get a TB shot. No tears or crying, but the effected arm was held out for all the world to see for at least an hour and not used for anything except to clutch the candy the nurse gave her after the shot. SL & I will go back Monday morning to read the results. We spent the rest of the day exploring the neighborhood, locating the nearest store and checking out the hotel. We met with the Farleys and went to Mexican food for dinner. I guess that's Chinese/Mexican food. I will confess, it was as good, if not better than anything I've had stateside, but maybe I just needed a break from rice & noodles. We weren't sure how SL would do, but this girl loves her some ketchup and happily devoured chicken strips and french fries and the entire bowl of ketchup they gave her. Several other families from Lifeline arrived just as we did and said they had eaten there several times last week. Tomorrow we go to Liwan Plaza for shopping in the morning and take a dinner boat cruise in the evening.