Yes, we're home!!!!!!!!

I know lots of you have been waiting to hear from us. Well, we got in late friday night as planned. Avery did pretty well on the flights, with a little help from our friend, Benadryl! Saturday we were pretty much zombies, trying to fight the jet lag, but sunday we started coming alive. Avery spent time with Grandma and Grandpa saturday morning and did really well, giving them hugs/kisses when they left. We went on our first outing to Target sunday, we needed a "few" things! After naptime, we took Avery out for a walk in the stroller. We were greated by lots of neighbors and friends. I think she was a little overwhelmed at first, but then enjoyed being out. We took her in the backyard to play and after she got a feel for the yard, she had a lot of fun throwing balls, blowing bubbles and climbing on the swingset. Monday was a little more difficult. She had several meltdowns, didn't want to take a nap, but had slept terribly sunday night waking every hour!
Today has been a much better day. Avery slept all night and Keith went to work and Cole went to school today. She has been a very good eater and pretty playful. Luckily the weather is beautiful and we're able to get outside to walk and play.
Just as it was in China, everyday gets a little better. She is finding her way around the house pretty well and seeming more comfortable. She loves to sing and dance when the music is on, if only I knew what she was singing! She is saying a few english words, and will repeat things when she feels like it! She is real joy!! Cole is loving being a big brother and loves Avery, although I think he is trying to figure out how we all fit now. I'm going to take Avery in next week for his "show and tell"!
Will continue to post, but not daily!! I'm still trying to figure out "my" place in this all!!!
Love, Jackie

Visit to the local fish market

Here is what the guys do to pass the time when the kids are taking their afternoon snooze. Harris, Gene and I went over to the fish market where the local shops and restaurants frequent to get their "daily catch". This was a treat since the selection was more than most zoos’ offer. One our guides (Jason a native to China) told us that if it has legs, wings and swims it would be served up in Guangzhou. We saw many items we would not see in our local markets, for instance live crocodiles, king cobra's and other venomous snakes, large turtles, bullfrogs, 12” to 16" prawns that could eat you pet, etc. I wish Cole could have seen the sights. I have attached some pictures for your enjoyment.

We are heading home tomorrow and we are all ready, it has been a rewarding, emotional, exhausting adventure. Thanks to all back home, that has traveled along with us and kept us going. God Bless.

Visit to the orphanage

Today we got to visit Avery's orphanage. It was about an hour drive, Zhou went with us. You could tell the city (Foshan) is a little better off. Zhou said they have a lot of money there. The orphanage is in a high rise with the kids on the first 5 floors and senior citizens in the rest. I'm told this is better for the kids, more exposure to people. The picture with the building behind Keith, Avery and I is the one with the orphanage. There are a couple other buildings in the complex with seniors in them. It was very clean, neat. Avery saw some of her friends taking a walk as soon as we got there and went running to them. It was easy to see how much she enjoyed these people. And it was also easy to see how much they love her. The nannies were so thrilled to see her and they were all holding her, kissing her and talking to her. They said they couldn't understand everything she was saying, "she must be learning english"! We spent a good hour there. The kids were not shy and were all coming up to us to be hugged and held. It broke our hearts to see all of them. It was a very emotional trip for us. I told Zhou before we left that I was very nervous, wondering if she would prefer to stay there with them. He told me she wouldn't and not to worry. Well, she came to me several times while we were there, running up to me and hugging me, and when it was time to go, as much as she loved the nannies, she came with me without hesitation and waved goodbye to everyone when we got in the van. The whole trip was so worthwhile to us, but it really helped me knowing Avery preferred us. She's been a little different today, seems like she has warmed up to me more, which means so much.
Our whole group went out together for dinner, 34 people plus 11 babies! We went out for chinese and it was fabulous! Zhou ordered a multitude of wonderful dishes for us to share at each table. It was a nice (almost) ending to this adventure.
Tomorrow afternoon we go to the US embassy for the swearing in of some sort (I'm not sure yet, better read up!)and to get the babies visas. We have to be packed and ready to go tomorrow night, the bus leaves for the airport at 6a on friday. This is probably my last note before we leave unless I find a little extra time tomorrow afternoon. It has been quite the trip, seemed like the end would never get here, and now it's finally here!!! We can't wait to bring Avery home to meet everyone, especially her big brother Cole who is ever so excitedly waiting for us to arrive!!
I suppose our real journey is about to begin!
For those interested (you know who you are) our flight is American Airlines 658 out of Dallas and arrives at 10:25p on friday night.
Look out, we're coming home!!!

Picture Day!

This afternoon we all (11 families) headed over to the The White Swan Hotel (huge hotel where a lot of adoptive families stay) for a group photo. We dressed the girls up in their little silk chinese dresses. Avery wasn't sure what to think of a dress at first. I'm out of luck though with the hair accessories! The past few days she doesn't want anything in it...hope that doesn't continue! Anyways, these are some pictures of the girls. The one is of Zhou and Hattie and Avery.

It's Tuesday!!!!

Well, it's tues. afternoon here and we're really on the downslide now! Yesterday morning was spent shopping around the hotel with Tracy and Kristi and the girls, Avery, Hattie and Ameliabelle. (picture) I really don't think Avery is a shopper (Keith says "Yea!!"). She can only handle that stroller for a little bit and then needs food to keep her in! We took them out for lunch and Hattie especially enjoyed the noodles! picture..The sun finally came out yesterday afternoon, so after naptime we went to the park to play. Everybody else was there too, including a lot of the locals, kids from school. We had heard about the the little kids wearing "split" pants (the crotch is open) for potting training purposes. Well, we saw just what that's about at the park. A little guy, not much over 1y was on the slides, crawling all around with all his business hanging out! We all got a kick out of that!
Dinner last night was Papa John's pizza--they delivered it to us on bikes and we got beer at the convenience store next to the hotel. 4 families sat on the floor out in the lobby area on our floor by the elevator eating!!
Today, Tracy, Kristi and her mom, and I went and had a massage. Now, let me tell you, it was no day spa! Zhou told us the place to go, which wasn't too far from the hotel and still on the island. It was a little difficult to tell from the signs, but it offered all kinds of holistic therapies, "traditional chinese medicine" including massage, accupuncture and other therapies we weren't about to try! The massage was fairly good, not like what we are used to in the US. There was no lotion or music either. All 4 of us were in 1 room together and 4 ladies worked on us. They were almost a little rough, not in a bad way, with a lot of range of motion and working of the joints. Kristi said it was worse than childbirth!! It was good for about $10 although we had to pay almost a dollar extra to have a paper gown and paper table liner over the sheet!! Keith played with Avery and fed her lunch while I was gone, which was good, because he hadn't really been alone with her. He said she cried for a minute or so when I left, which is good. Keith is out "adventuring" with Harris and Gene right now. I will have to let him write later about his adventure yesterday down the "animals for food" street!
We're meeting later today for a big group photo (all 11 families) and then Zhou is taking us on a dinner cruise at 6p. We were supposed to go the orphanage today, but he had to change the schedule and we;re planning on going tomorrow afternoon. We pick up the babies visas thurs and head out of dodge friday am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To be continued..........lots of love, keith, jackie and avery

Sunday

No catchy title for today...another damp, cool, rainy day here. We have literally not seen the sun since we left Ohio! (and who knows when we even saw it there!!) We all went to the Guangzhou zoo today. It was nice, pretty typical zoo with a lot of tropical folliage, bamboo. And yes, there were dogs in cages, pomeranians to be exact. We asked Zhou why but he only laughed and said he didn't know. Avery loved the animals, especially the bears and lions who were pretty active. It rained/misted on us the whole time, so that wasn't fun. My camera batteries were dead, so no pictures...sorry!!! I have rechargeable ones, but i think the outlets must have low voltage, my flat iron doesn't even get very hot. Went to dinner again w/ our friends, Harris and Tracy and 3y Hattie, from alabama. They also have 2 teenagers, and 4 and 5y siblings adopted from Russia! They are a hoot and keep us laughing while we share pitchers of beer and talk. Avery is continuing to do well, but keeps calling me "da-da"! Gotta work on that! Can't believe it's been a week already with her. Only 4 days left!! Love, K/J/A

It's finally the weekend!

Finally got to saturday, now we're on the home stretch!!!
Today we went to the Jade market. We walked the "usual" route we take over to the city of Guangzhou. I guess I never really explained where we're staying...we are on an "island" if you will, Shaiman Island, which is very small (only 325 yds wide x 700yds long) and surrounded by a canal and muddy waters of the Pearl River. It has a few hotels, The Victory which is our hotel and the White Swan, both of which are used by a lot of adoptive families. The US consolate is here, which is where we will get Avery's visa to come to the US on weds. There are lots of little shops where everyone wants to sell you souveniers, clothes/shoes for the kids, etc. and some restaurants. It also has other offices, school and apartments. It is very quiet, relaxed atmosphere, although it comes alive on other side on friday and sat night we noticed. Anyways, when you cross over the river (walk over a big creek!) you are in Guangzhou. The city has 7 million people! The streets we go through to get to the shopping district are small alley-like and where locals sell their goods. We saw this the other day, but did not see the live scorpions until today! (one of pictures) There were 3 tubs, kind of like small kiddie pools, full of them!!! It was nasty! And they were moving all around! Our guide (not Zhou today, our agency had 6 more families come in last night with LOTS of extended family members accompanying them, so he had some helpers) told us all the animals for sale that we were seeing were for pets, not food! That was a different street!!! We went back through similar area from the other day. We did stop at a temple on the way to the market (other pictures). There was a tremendous amount of incense burning there. You bought it, lit it and then stuck it in a cart sitting outside the temple. Inside one of the buildings there were 500 buddha statues! There were a lot of people praying there. We then went to the jade market. It is basically a few streets with vendors selling jade! (what did you expect??!). We got a few things... We then headed back the same path to the hotel. On the way, some of us wanted to get a few things at a dept store (diapers, juice boxes, snacks for kids). All but 1 couple was done, so the rest of us waited outside the store. Now, the shopping district is like an open air mall, but bigger and with more people (see picture). We are all standing there (4 american families w/ chinese girls) and we became the center of attention! People (chinese women mostly) stood there just staring at us! It was very uncomfortable after a few minutes. And you knew they were talking about all of us! You really wonder what these people think! We think about that when you're walking around and they just look at you, but they know all of these kids are in orphanages, so we hope that they are happy for all the children who find homes! One of our new friends told us at dinner tonight that staring is culturally accepted!
Avery is seeming to feel more and more at ease with us. Like I said, she is full of energy! When we are out and about she is quiet and reserved, but there is a playroom for the kids down our hall and when she's in there, watch out! She is entertainment for the rest! She is repeating more words today and is continuing the kisses! Tonight at bedtime, she barely wimpered when we got in bed (she sleeps between Keith and I in king-sz bed). After we said goodnight we each gave her a kiss and asked her for one, which she did. Then after a moment she leaned over to me and kissed my cheek, totally unsolicited!!! And then Keith's! I think she likes us!!!!
We're heading to the zoo tomorrow morning. Another family told me it is pretty nice, they have a panda. She just said they have dogs and cats caged as well!!! We're not in Kansas anymore!
(Tim, if you're reading this, that was Keith trying to call you this morning! (friday pm for you). We were having trouble with skype...will try later!)
Love, Keith, Jackie and Cole