I was looking at these photo's I had left on my camara and I havent posted in a couple of days.   The first pic is in the playroom at the White Swan with Lucy.  I stole this and the next pic from a friends blog.  The next pic is the squatty pottys you will find everytime you would go to the toilet in China.   Then after that is mine and Jason's favorite resteraunt in China Lucy's Resteraunt. The fourth pic is of me and Brinlee with Amy.  Amy was a lady who owned a little store.  She was soooo sweet.  The last two pics is of Brinlee with Jason in China and Brooke when we first got home.  As I look at all these photos I keep telling myself things will get alot better.  Brinlee hasnt been as happy as she was in China and when we first got home but I have to keep telling myself this is a major adjustment for all of us.  She is not use to all these new things.  The time is really getting to us even still.  I guess it will take a couple of weeks to just get back to our regular time.  The weekend is coming and Jason will be home all weekend with us and its fathers day.  Brin is real fond of her two doggies and her big brother Hope to get some good pics soon.

We made it home!    Brinlee did really well on the plane especially with the little room we had for 11 hours. UGH!!!   I dont think I will ever travel that far without having lots of leg room.  We had a four hour flight from Hong Kong to Tokyo and that was the best flight we had.  ANA is awesome!!!!  When we got off the plane in Charleston alot of the family was waiting for us and Brinlee just took to them all very well.  She absolutely loves her big brother and sister.  She smiles at them all the time and thinks that the dogs are the most wonderful things right now.  She keeps kissing on Dash our bigger dog.  She wants to see our little Yorkie but she is not quite sure about her getting near her.  We are having a little challenge with food.  Brin is not liking much American food but that started back the last few days in China.  She was getting tired real quick of all the same stuff.  My aunt brought over some Chinese food that our local resteraunt gave her for Brinlee and she really didnt want it either except for the white rice. I need to get off of here and clean up this house man its a wreck.  When we got home my mom had it spic and span but now it looks like a bomb went off.   I really appreciate everyones prayers.

Got Brinlee's Visa and ready to head to U.S.

We got up bright and early Wednesday morning and headed to the Consulate.  We were told we couldnt bring any camera's or anything so we didnt and didnt get to get any pictures.  We had Brinlee dressed in red,white and blue.  She looked so cute but we never took any pics.  We had the craziest bus driver yet and he made me so nervous that I was pretty much a wreck the rest of the day.  (along with really ready to come home) We shopped and talked to alot of the store keepers all evening long and went out to dinner with some other families.   We really have learned that most of the Chinese ways come off very very rude but there are exceptions.  We have met some of the sweetest christian ladies and men in these stores.  We could sit and talk with them for hours.  We got up late this morning and are packing our bags as I type.  We are finally heading out of China and back to the good ol USA.  It is going to be a long journey home but I am glad we are headed home.   We will be flying out tonight to Hong Kong then to Tokyo then to Chicago.  I am going to try and get some pics tonight when we go out to dinner of some of our friends we have made here.  I might get to post in Hong Kong or Chicago. Brinlee is doing really good today she is finally starting to respond to Brinlee for her name.  We love her very much and cant wait for Brooke and Blake to meet her.  She is funny and very very intellegent.  We cant wait for her to start speaking better English because she communicates so well with all the Chinese people. Talk to you soon.

Today was a slow day but we got through it.  Brinlee and I went to the pool for a couple of hours then we hung out in the room for several hours.  Today was the Red Couch photo pics. It was really cute and funny.  Most of the kids didnt cooperate but it was ok.  Most of the pics are couples that we have been with since we got here in China. When I look at all these pics all I can think about is that all these kids were orphans just a little over a week ago and now they have wonderful loving families.  All of these people are such great people.  Some families this isnt their first trip to China.  (boy I dont know how they do it).  Tomorrow morning is our last thing we have to do to be able to leave and come home.   Yesssssssssssss    Consulate apt. then a meeting about leaving. waiting on Brinlee's Visa then we are off to Hong Kong.  I dont know If we will post much after this but we will see.  There is still a day of waiting so we might get into something interesting.  We have several loooong layovers so if Brin isnt too roudy then I will try and post on the way home. 

Third day in Guangzhou!!

big girl

shopping mall outside

inside the shopping mall

women getting photo shoot

weird photo shoot

starbucks its everywhere

Tried to get Brinlee to get her pic with the kids but wouldnt

I thought this one was funny

Eating her fav rice

This is Jason, April gave me the keyboard tonight. I can't wait to get home. Don't get me wrong I thank God for the chance to be here and adopt. But the trip is too long. Toooo long away for the kids. Toooo long in     a(n) unknown place(s).  Don't get me wrong it is good to know where Brinlee came from and here culture. Just ready to be HOME. Anyway, Brinlee eating some rice after getting back to the room tonight. We walked around today trying to find some stuff for Blake and Brooke and wondering if it will fit in the suitcases. Can't wait to get home to see Blake and Brooke, and to let them meet their new sister.

We went to church here in Guangzhou.  We really did enjoy it.  They sang one song in English and the rest in Chinese but that was ok.   The preaching was in both Chinese and English.  I understand most of what he was saying.  I really was suprised by how many people were in church.  They were so packed out that they had to keep the doors open and people stood outside listening.   Brinlee just listened to the singing and then was out.  She is a very good baby and very very smart.  She continues to have conversations with the store keepers when we go in to buy something.  They seem to think she is not 18 months old and say she is older because she knows too many words in Chinese.  I really am kind of getting a little jealous because they talk away about everything and I cant hold any type of conversation with her at all.  Most of the time I have no idea what she is saying.  I was going to try and post a video of the church service but it wont let me do it .  For those of you who have me on facebook I will post it there.                                                                                                                             

Dinner

I thought I would show everyone that have been real curious how big Brinlee is especially with all her clothes off.  She's really not all that chubby.  I think most of her weight is in her cheeks.  LOL  When she went for her physical she weighed 29 lbs.  She has lost 2 pounds in a week. I dont know why.  She eats alot. 

Well we made it to Guangzhou!!!!

Woohoo I love this place!!!!!    I feel like I am at the beach a little, a big city, and a historical district all at the same time.   Brinlee is really coming alive here too.   She is talking up a storm in Chinese and we were able to get a few ladies here to tell us what she is saying.   Well one thing is for sure she loves to shop.  She wants one of everything in the shops.   Brinlee is starting to loooove her daddy now.  She is letting him carry her and she even is wanting him to give her a bath in the middle of the day.  Ha Ha  I finally get a break!!!    The first picture is from where we eat breakfast in the morning.  The next pic is of where we took Brinlee for her physical.  Then the next couple of pics is of the inside of our hotel.  The last pic is what was sitting in our room when we got back a barbie doll holding the chinese baby.  There is tons of shopping areas here so I love it! We are going out to eat with our group tonight it is called Cow & Bridge Thai Restaurant.  We went to a place called Lucy's today for lunch Jason got a burger and it smelled just like King Tuts.  I got a baked potatoe it was pretty good.  Well I will take more pics this evening. 

Friday June 3,

We are packing our bags and getting ready to move on to the next location.   We got Brinlee's passport just a little while ago.  We are going to be heading to Guangzhou.  We are so happy to be getting to the next place.  We will be taking Brinlee for her physical in the morning then the following day it will be the Dragon Boat Festival.  I am kinda wondering what the Dragon Boat Festival is going to be like.  I really am ready to be home.  I miss my kids so bad!!!!  One thing I am really wishing I had brought was more clothes.  I had read alot of blogs where people said to pack very little and that is one advice I wished I had not taken. I also brought things like sweat shorts and tank tops and I feel so out of place because everyone here dresses to the max.   I just wished I had brought clothes like I wear back home. I am such a shoe person and I am soooooo sick of these same two pairs of shoes.  LOL   Well enough of all that.  We will be taking more pics in Guangzhou.  

We headed out to McDonald which was w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l.   I never thought I would say that.   Blake and Brooke are going to laugh and probably remind me of this every time they want to go.  LOL   We then went to the park to check things out.   It was very interesting.   We had alot of older people stopping and talking to Brinlee and trying to talk to us.  We got alot of thumbs up.   Then after all that Brinlee just knocked out.  By the way Brinlee didnt quit like McDonalds food and she didnt want her oreo blizard either that came with her meal.  I really enjoyed it.  All this is so new to her.