Cody
Look at those dimples!!!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Posted with Blogsy
Consulate Appointment and Shamian Island
Today we had to get up early and go to the American Consulate for the Oath and Interview. The oath is just stating that all our paperwork is honest. We then waited for for our name to be called and went up to the window while the lady looked over our paperwork. She was an American and spoke Chinese. Although Cody could not understand her. As we got ready to walk away from the window Cody realized she did not give our passports back so he told her. She thought that was very smart of Cody to realize that. We were thankful also. We came back to the hotel just to grab our camera's and headed to Shamian Island. This Island use to be very popular to adoptive families. The White Swan Hotel was very popular for families to stay. It has been closed for remodeling now for 2 years and will remain closed another year. The shop owners on the Island are feeling it. They were very thankful for the business we gave them. I made Cody pose with some of the statue's and he had to be silly but that's ok we like silly. Dave told me he is to old to be posing with the statues. Kim and Kasey were glad to do it last trip. We had lunch at Lucy's we ordered double cheeseburgers. They were huge, I took one of my pieces of meat out. Cody went to take a bite of his and both pieces of meat fell our on the ground. I was happy to share one of mine with him. When we were ready to go Cody hailed us a cab and took us back to the hotel. Cody was anxious to go swimming so when we got back they went swimming. We are now trying to figure out what we should have for dinner. Nobody wants pizza again, and we have a hard time ordering at a restaraunt. We are just gonna go out and see what we find. Well we ate a restaraunt in the hotel. It was pretty good. Cody got fish (head on). I just got the seasonal vegtables and rice. Dave had shrimp with bamboo shoots. We did all enjoy our meal. I really need to learn to cook more chinese food. Tomorrow we are pretty much free all day. Our guide just drops off Cody's passport with his visa inside and some other paperwork we need to give the imigration people at O'Hare when we land. I can't beleive we will be home in a couple of days. Cody has yet to show any kind of saddness. I would say he has a smile on that face about 90% of the time. Oh how his life has changed overnight!!!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Museum and Pearl River Cruise
Today was a pretty low key day. We started out with breakfast at 8. Some new friends we met in Hong Kong invited us to sit with them for breakfast. They just adopted a beautiful little girl. It was nice to have some good conversation. We have been at this hotel for over a week so we do have a bit of a routine for breakfast. Cody has seen how the servers come and pick up your plates when you are finished. He is always so helpful. Today he noticed that several of us had finished our breakfast and our plates had not been cleared. Cody collected our plates for us and walked them over to the waiter. It was really cute. After breakfast we went to a nearby museum with a tomb in it. I don't think it was Cody's thing. We did not stay to long. On the way back Cody wanted some chestnuts someone was roasting. He talked the lady preparing them and took care of the money. Dave just had to open his wallet. They were pretty tasty. When we got back to the room the cleaning lady was in cleaning our room. Cody likes to talk to her. He then offered her some chestnuts and she took two from him. He is really so sweet. I took a nap this afternoon while Dave and Cody walked to McDonalds. Our guide Jocelyn came to our room and we did some paperwork. We are all ready for our Consulate appointment tomorrow.
At 5:45 we met our guide and a bigger CCAI group in the lobby to go on the Pearl River Cruise. The cruise starts out with a buffet dinner. I have to say not my favorite meal. Actually it was my least favorite. Cody took the chicken head and chicken feet. The head he ate the comb of the chicken right off and said it was so good. I am not sure he will get chicken head at home. Although we do have plenty of chickens. Maybe that mean rooster we have. The lights on the river were beautiful and Cody really enjoyed the ride. We all really enjoyed it. Toward the end of the night they put on some show it was really weird a dancing pig with ....well you be the judge. After the cruise we came back to the hotel and are now getting ready for tomorrow. We need to get up early, we need to leave the hotel at 8:00 sharp.
At 5:45 we met our guide and a bigger CCAI group in the lobby to go on the Pearl River Cruise. The cruise starts out with a buffet dinner. I have to say not my favorite meal. Actually it was my least favorite. Cody took the chicken head and chicken feet. The head he ate the comb of the chicken right off and said it was so good. I am not sure he will get chicken head at home. Although we do have plenty of chickens. Maybe that mean rooster we have. The lights on the river were beautiful and Cody really enjoyed the ride. We all really enjoyed it. Toward the end of the night they put on some show it was really weird a dancing pig with ....well you be the judge. After the cruise we came back to the hotel and are now getting ready for tomorrow. We need to get up early, we need to leave the hotel at 8:00 sharp.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
More pictures
Foster mom above
Foster Dad
Max Foster Family Visit
We had a very busy day today. We skyped with the kids at home this morning. Then went down for breakfast. It was nice to see some of the families we had seen in Hong Kong with their children. Everyone seems to be doing very well. We then met Ann in the lobby and off we went to see Max's foster family. It was about an hour drive. We met his foster mother at a shopping area and followed her on her motorcycle to where they live. They live in a house that is 4 stories with a 5th story outside rooftop area. They are considered pretty wealthy. When we arrived we were greeted by his foster family, aunt and uncle and grandma. They led us into the house to a living area. The table was set with fancy fruits and fresh peanuts. We then heard fireworks going off outside and that was for our arrival. They said it means we are welcome. We shared stories about Max with the help of Ann. They really all loved him so much and were happy to see we love him too. We really felt like it was important to go see his China family to understand why he is like he is with bonding to people. I think we got some of those answers today. Max was never told he was an orphan. As far as he knew his family did not want him. He was told he was coming to America and live with a new family. I had sent a package but he would have nothing to do with what I had sent. He did not want to leave China. He was sent back to the orphanage a month before we came to China. They agency said it was because he was so close to his foster family. His foster family told him he was only going on a vacation and would come back. Everyday he would ask the orphanage workers "when will I go on my vacation?" It really breaks my heart when I hear that. Sometimes I feel responsible for his hurt, I know deep down that this is a good thing for him. A life in China would most likely mean a life without Jesus. He is learning now about Jesus's love. He asks a lot of tough questions that we answer the best we can for now. The second day we were gone my girls told me that Max said grace at the dinner table and it was from the heart. That was huge!! We need to concentrate on the big picture sometimes. Max has been with us for almost two years and as challenging as it has been sometimes I wouldn't change a thing.
We brought them some gifts to his foster family and a photo book that I had made with pictures of Max since we have been home. They gave us some gifts also. Some fruit that they grow and some packaged things. I don't know what most of it is, we will have to ask our friend Melissa what it all is and how to cook it. They then wanted to take us out to lunch a local restaurant. It was pretty fancy, they led us to a private room with a sitting area and a big round table. We were served a lot of food. Started off with chicken feet. We had fresh fish, (head on) chicken, (head on) goose (no head) cow stomach, pork, beef, squid, Tofu fresh vegetables and rice. I am probably forgetting some things. So much food. We really were honored guests. They even invited the cab driver in to eat with us. We said our good byes and headed back to the hotel. We were with them about 3 hours. We got back to the hotel about 3:00 and we had to meet our group in the lobby to go eat again at 5:00. So today we basically ate all day with good company. Cody was so good all day. He was so patient with everything and said he never ate such good food. He also told Ann today that he really likes his dad and mom and has only known us for a little while and feels so comfortable. Tomorrow we are pretty free until about 4:30 we then do some paperwork in our room with our guide. We are gonna go on the Pearl River Cruise. We have been already but thought Cody would really like it. Tuesday is our Consulate Appointment.
We brought them some gifts to his foster family and a photo book that I had made with pictures of Max since we have been home. They gave us some gifts also. Some fruit that they grow and some packaged things. I don't know what most of it is, we will have to ask our friend Melissa what it all is and how to cook it. They then wanted to take us out to lunch a local restaurant. It was pretty fancy, they led us to a private room with a sitting area and a big round table. We were served a lot of food. Started off with chicken feet. We had fresh fish, (head on) chicken, (head on) goose (no head) cow stomach, pork, beef, squid, Tofu fresh vegetables and rice. I am probably forgetting some things. So much food. We really were honored guests. They even invited the cab driver in to eat with us. We said our good byes and headed back to the hotel. We were with them about 3 hours. We got back to the hotel about 3:00 and we had to meet our group in the lobby to go eat again at 5:00. So today we basically ate all day with good company. Cody was so good all day. He was so patient with everything and said he never ate such good food. He also told Ann today that he really likes his dad and mom and has only known us for a little while and feels so comfortable. Tomorrow we are pretty free until about 4:30 we then do some paperwork in our room with our guide. We are gonna go on the Pearl River Cruise. We have been already but thought Cody would really like it. Tuesday is our Consulate Appointment.
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