A Relaxing Rainy Day

We finally had a day with nowhere to go, ahhhhhhh! It was so nice to take our time eating breakfast and then have time to catch up on emails. We had to wait out a rainstorm until midmorning and then we went shopping. We spent most of our time hanging out at a popular shop called Susan's Place. The guys sat and drank tea (and shot the breeze) with the shop owner Dong, while Susan (Dong's Chinese wife) helped me spend money! I bought a silk dress and squeeky shoes for Teddi, as well as a baby doll in traditional dress. We also bought a stroller for the trip home. . . we will now have a stroller for both kids during the long airport jaunts. Brogan spent some of his birthday money on a great find, a gun with lights and sounds . . . A truly annoying toy by my standards, a marvelous treasure, by his! He's lovin' it!


Dong and Susan's store caters to the adoption community, they are sweet people and both speak very good English. They have one two year old son who is cared for during the day by his grandparents, and they think our large American family is "crazy"! We wouldn't have it any other way!


Steph, Brian, Hai Ping and Audrey all ended up at Susan's with us, and then we overlapped each other again at Lucy's for dinner. Kinda funny to come to China and shop at Susan's and eat at Lucy's Diner--I'm glad they make it easy for us "crazy" Americans to keep track of names and places!


Miss Teddi Xiao Xiao came way out of her shell this morning . . . in fact so far out I was wondering where the remnants were! She went gigglin' wigglin' over the top silly as I was trying to get her dressed for breakfast--I could barely contain her! A firm "No" brought nothing more than increased wiggling and giggling! She had a few other "moments" today, but all in all it is so good to see her happy. As big sister Taylor wrote on her own blog, "This little girl is filled with the joy of Jesus, she just needs a little more patience and self-control!" She is smart, and we are beginning to communicate with signs. Tonight at supper she was able to make the signs for "more" and "please"--right now she is copying me, but I can tell she is beginning to put two and two together! She sweetly says, "Hellooo" to everyone we meet, and she says, "Bye,bye" and waves, unprompted as we leave a shop or restaurant. She colored with daddy today, and also let him give her a bath along with Brogie. If anyone opens the hotel door to go out, she wants in my arms immediately--if she sees me putting my shoes on she is gripping me for dear life. Other than that when we are just hanging out in the room she plays happily, coming to me every so often for a quick hug for reassurance.


Please remember us and the Johnson family in your prayers tonight, as we will be travelling tomorrow to visit Teddi and Hai Ping's orphanage in Zhuhai, it'll be about 2 1/2 hours each way. Please pray that it will be a good visit as the girls say goodbye to the only place they have ever known as "home". Please remember the director, Ms. Zhong, as she lets two more of her babies go to begin new lives in America. I am struggling with going, but feel like it will be important for us, on down the road, to be able to fill in this "piece of the puzzle" for Teddi. Zhuhai is located on the South China Sea, and is supposed to be very beautiful. We also look forward to seeing Teddi's friend Zhu Min Bao, soon to be known as Isabelle, and taking some pictures for her waiting mama! I will fill you in tomorrow.


I will leave you with a few pictures from our day . . .

Tired Teddi Xiao Xiao

Noisy Teddi Xiao Xiao, yelling at her brother--

she obviously knows how to "boss"!

Tired Brogie resting with daddy. We were

stopped for lunch at a great little deli.

Having tea with Dong . . . the two Bryan/Brians, and Brogie with

his wonderful (annoying) treasure! Dong was trying on my Bryan's

leather Aussie hat.

Lastly, me and my giggling, wiggling treasure!

Love and blessings from China~

Tina