Zhengzhou

Today we took Meng Meng for a walk not to far from our hotel is a nice park . She loves to ride in her stroller and we're so happy about this . She looks totally different then in any of her pictures and she is pretty tiny . Her foster parents gave us a little photo album with some pictures and Meng Meng just loves to look at those pictures . We also got the two cameras back I send can't wait to have them developed in the States . She is so adorable and easy going just like her brother and sister . And we don't have to worry about Meng Meng not being used to christmas she just looked at the dancing Santa in the hotel lobby and really liked it which made her dad so happy since christmas is his favorite holiday . Yisha who is really nice as well told us that the young chinese people brought christmas to China . Tomorrow will take a trip to the department store I need to buy some smaller cloth for her since most of the cloth are way to big the winter jacket we bought for her she wont be able to wear for another two years . She looks like a two year old but she is smart like a four year old  and her fine motor skills are amazing . Bill will post some more pictures later by the way the weather in Zhengzhou is great to day it was so nice that we could wear T -Shirts .

Dec 8 Gotcha Day is here!!

We awoke at 6 am and cleaned up and waited till 10 AM to go to the PRC Adoption service. We walked to the office. Once there we could hear the kids and when we got to the office we saw Meng Meng and it was her crying! It took a good hour for her to calm down and then go to Marion. She didnt want anything to do with me. 

We were there for about 2 hours and then we went back to the hotel. After we got back Meng Meng opened up to us and laughed and played ball, and mom read her a book. She can say ball, and back, socks and snow. She plays with her tassel, and she can EAT!!!!!

Then John the other dad and I ran to the store to buy strollers, diapers, butt cream, fruit and water and diet coke. Then it was back to the notary to finalize the adoption. At 5 pm on Monday Decemeber 8th LUO, HONG MENG became our Daughter, Faith Elisabeth Hong Meng Cornell.

These are the two ladies from adoption services who made it happen.

We got back to the hotel that night and relaxed and played with Meng Meng.

She fell asleep at 7:30 after eating rice, fruit, bear crackers, and drinking water. She would let us change her clothes, but we could not take off her shoes, so she slept in them. They smell as bad as my sneakers, but she is happy and thats all the matters!

So ended our first day with her...words cannot express how much she is loved.

Tomorrow is the big day

Tomorrow is the big day we'll meet Faith at 10 0'clock we're very excited and a little nervous . I am sure she has no idea that her world as she knew it will change forever tomorrow . Bill and I are praying that she will learn to love us as much as we love her already . We'll let you all know how Gotcha Day went . 

Beijing Tour day 2

Today was a get up early and go to a very nice Jade Factory first:

Then we were off to the great wall. Just the sense of when it was built and why it takes your breath away. Holly the spaceman made it!

After the Great wall we toured a factory that makes enamel vases and had lunch there:

We then stopped by the Olympic Village

We then made our way back to Beijing and went to see a real Chinese Red Belt Acrobatic show:

Oh and by the way, Santa and Christmas are ALL over the place in china! See our hotel:

Barbara our wonderful tour guide and Alexander the best driver from Beijing . They really made us feel right at home and answered all our questions . We miss them already and still can't believe how nice everyone was to us in Beijing we aren't used to be treated with such kindness .

So for everyone who will be traveling next week you're in for a real treat .

Beijing Tour day 1

We started the tour at the central PRC government building:

Right across from it is Tiananmen  Square and Mao's Tomb:

The People's Flag and the Army Guards:

Next it was on to the Forbidden City:

The Lions and gardens inside:

Then we went to visit the Peoples Silk Factory:

There we met two girls from Faiths home town of Luoyang, who helped us pick out a silk dress for her. They were very sweet:

We then went to a very traditional middle class home in Beijing. They were an older couple who owned a Quadrant home and lived on a pension of 3000 RMB a month. For extra money they allow tourists to visit their home during the week. They were very nice and explained their unique home to us.

Tomorrow we visit a Jade factory and take Holly's spaceman to the Great Wall of China!

We made it !

After a long flight we arrived safe and sound in Beijing our CCAI guide Barbara is wonderful . If you come to Beijing next week make sure to bring gloves and a hat it's cold in the city . We fell in love with the city and the people as well .

China here we come

We're leaving tonight and in five more days we finally will be able to hug and hold Faith in our arms . The only thing I am not looking forward to is the long flight , but it is nice that we can fly out off SFO and the weather cleared up as well . Hoping this doesn't change until we have to leave in Colorada anything is possible when it comes to the weather . My next post will come from China ....Yeah !