Wednesday, July 4th

We hope everyone had a good 4th of July Holiday!

Schedule for the day:

9:30am: Baby's visa photo and medical exam

2:30pm: Visa paperwork

4:40pm: Red Couch Group Photo

5:50pm: Group dinner at Thai restaurant

It was a busy and good day. All families walked in a group to get the baby's visa photo's. It took awhile for all families to have their daughter's medical exams. All of our daughter's cried at one station or another, more so when they laid them down to weigh them and the station where they checked their ears.

I got to get out and go shopping for an hour while Tony watched Linley as she took a nap. As I was walking out of our hotel room, another mother in our group in the room next to ours was coming out of her room and I could tell she had the same thing on her mind as I. We shopped for an hour and a half. We had to be back by 2:00 so our husband's could go fill out the paperwork for our daughter's visa's. Since the humidity was inbearably intense, we were soaking wet when we returned, we could not have pictures taken on the red couch sweaty. I took the quickest shower in my life! Which the family and friends who really know me, I would like them to know it was no more than 6-7 minutes! I did not wash my hair, so I cheated a little.

I don't know who had the hardest part from 2:30 - 4:30, Tony filling out the paperwork or me trying to get Linley and myself ready for the red couch. I know the red sleeveless top is getting a little old in the photo's, we are limited to the amount of clothing we can take with us. Tony brought more shirts than I did!

The red couch photo was so much fun. 9 families were all trying to get the perfect photo's of our daughter's. Not to brag, but Linley never cried, she held her own. She was great! I don't know if you can tell, but one mother and father are behind the couch, crouching down. The mother is propping their daughter up (pink dress) while she is crying, so cute! After the daughter's had their pictures taken, the CCAI Representatives had to take 9 pictures from each of our camera's. They had the toughest job of all.

That evening, we all walked to a Thai restaurant, the food was great, but it took awhile to serve 9 families and children, total 35 people. Tony and I ordered two complicated meals that took the longest to cook, we do not know what type of fish we ordered, we could not understand what the waiter told us. We went by pictures, our CCAI Rep did not know the name of the fish either, and she is Chinese. The fish had lots of bones, by the time I received mine I was not that hungry and picked at it. Tony made a good choice, his had lots of bones also. A plus in Guangzhou is Starbucks within walking distance and the ice is safe for ice tea, what a reprieve!

After dinner, everyone went their seperate ways and went shopping. It can get addicting because you know you have a couple of days and a time limit. All of the shopowners are extremely accomodating. They follow you as you shop. pointing out their goods and services.

It was a long day, but a good day.