Shamian Island/Last full day in Guangzhou

(Thank you, Kyle, for blogging!)

Shamian Island, as best as we understand, once housed numerous European consulates as well as the United States consulate.  Today, the Polish consulate is the only one which remains, but the island does have unique (to Guangzhou) European architecture, shops to buy souvenirs and American food (kind of).  All of the other consulates have moved to other parts of the city.

In the background Chinese elementary school students are performing calisthenics.  In the foreground Jonas is terrified of brass statues.

This church (Christ Church) has been active on the Island since 1865.  It still is an active church hosting an English/Mandarin service on Sunday mornings and a Mandarin only service on Sunday nights.

We saw at least three brides having their photos made on the island.  I asked Grace, because I didn't remember them wearing white before.  She said for pictures they will wear white because it's western, but for the ceremony they wear a traditional 'qipao'.

Inside the White Swan Hotel, which was reopened within the past year after three plus years of renovations.

A vase made of butterfly wings.

Quick last trip to the grocery store.

Grace was always so helpful in helping us carry our bags to our room when we had no additional hands.

We decided to take it easy this evening and play in the hotel play room.  This room has a lot of sentimental memories because it was one of the the first places we played with Willow on this very elephant slide.  In less than two years, it is amazing to realize how far she has come in attachment, bonding, maturity, size, etc.

Flashback: June 2014

Now:

Please continue to pray for our health as we battle our colds!  

Good day, awesome dinner

We were so thankful for a day with no adoption appointments!  Kyle did have to meet our guide once to pick up Jonas' visa, but it was nothing that the kids and I had to endure.

Breakfast...

Our guide from Nanjing mailed my glasses to me that I had left in the hotel. 

We took a walk with the Brown family to a nearby park we had heard about.

Under the street.

When we finally made it to the kids area, we saw that the playground had some very odd looking structures.  For example, check out this large steel lazy Susan looking thing with three or four metal chairs just stuck on top.  A fun little merry-go-round...

A cool red globe thing... Willow was more brave than normal, because Emma was watching of course!

I heart begonias!  For the first time ever, I guess because the weather was just perfect, we actually saw two joggers in China!  One was wearing jeans, but the other had legitimate jogging gear on.

On the way back to our hotel, we ate lunch at a great local restaurant.  This place happens to hold a wonderful memory for us of Willow suddenly just coming alive and feeling at peace and happy with us.  She loved the food today too, but this time she let Jonas eat the congee.

This is one of my favorite expressions he makes at me.  

He explores everything!  Today he figured out how to turn some lights off and on, and he enjoyed playing with the dresser drawers as well.

We got kind of stir crazy after their naps, but we also felt incredibly lazy.  Kyle convinced me it would be a good night to eat the delicious buffet at the hotel for dinner.  Off we go!

One happy girl, trying all kinds of yummy stuff!

We took turns shoveling in bite after bite, and Jonas was nearly in a food coma when we finally left.  He would've kept going until he made himself sick!  He got so delighted with the meal that he suddenly just started playing 'Boo!' ('Ba?')

There's a picture of Willow walking for one of the first times in this hallway by the buffet in our hotel two years ago.  Nothing has made her seem as grown up and eloquent as much as becoming a big sister!

Jonas' nose is much less runny, but his chest still sounds awfully congested.  Kyle and I are maybe on the mend from our colds.  Let's pray Kyle doesn't get an ear infection!

Missing home, missing my dogs, missing friends and family, & even missing TV.