Thanks so much for visiting us during our journey, Steve, Heather, Ed, Joe, Emily, Hana, Zeke and Samuel!
Today was really enjoyable even if we’re still here in China and still wandering around aimlessly. We are doing absolutely nothing towards completing this adoption this week other than waiting. No meetings, no paperwork, nothing. It’s hard to wait, especially since this requires we stay a week longer in China then on our last two trips. We’re just waiting for Sam’s passport and finally, on Saturday, we’ll begin moving forward again. Saturday is the medical checkup, Monday is the U.S. Consulate appointment, Tuesday is the oath, and Wednesday, one week from today, we come home.
In the meantime, we wait and hang out with the Patzer family. Today we wandered across the bridge from Shamian Island into Guangzhou to shop. Those who know the Allen’s know that shopping, unless it’s at Woodworkers Supply, or Lowes in Albuquerque, is not high on our list of things to do. In fact, we avoid shopping like the plague and we’re just about shopped out. Visiting with the shopkeepers on the island is very enjoyable, but the shopping part could go. Anyway, shop we did and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with the Patzers. We ate lunch at McDonald’s which the kids all liked, and then headed back to the island.
After a brief time of rest in the room, we spent a couple of hours playing in the park and Joe and Sam had great fun playing with all the kids. Steve and Heather had great fun watching.
Park time was followed by dinner at a nearby Thai restaurant, ice cream from the convenience store, and then back to the room to relax and get ready for bed.
You can see that not much is happening, but we’re still making the best of it. In fact, we’re trying to explain to Sam about “attitude,” and that life can be fun or miserable depending on one’s “attitude.” Something’s definitely getting lost in the translation, but we’re working on it.
Tomorrow we actually have a plan. We’re meeting Leila in the morning and she’s reserved the hotel van to take us about 40 minutes outside of Guangzhou to the Xiangjiang Safari Park. We don’t know what to expect, but we’re hoping that no rats make an appearance when Sam’s around. In fact, we’re just hoping to all make it back alive considering our outing at the Guangzhou Zoo. Will give you the full scoop tomorrow.
Blessings to all our friends and family,
Steve, Heather, Joe and Sam, counting down the days in China, and
Ed, Emily, Hana and Zeke at home, along with Grandma and Aunt Sue, really doing great.
