Day 10- Xiangjiang Zoo

What a day! We've had a day of subways and lots of walking around a very big zoo. We said good-bye this morning to a few of the families in our travel group as they were departing for Hong Kong and will be headed for the USA tomorrow. The rest of us had a free day, so we took the children to the zoo. We had a lot fun, but we're sooo tired! And yes, I carried the princess on my hip most of the day. I am sore all over! She actually did do some walking around, though. Running is really more like it. There's a few pics here from today. She's constantly in action and is usually waving to a camera or a person followed by blowing a kiss. The pic where she is holding up her fists is something her daddy is responsible for! He's taught her to make a face and "put up her dukes". So now she just randomly does it. One of the pics with daddy is of them clowning around and the other is her brushing his hair.

So tomorrow (Wednesday) is our appointment with the US Consulate. Hopefully it will go quick and painless. Thursday we will pick up Maggie's visa and head to Hong Kong where we fly out Friday morning for the USA! I'm so ready to get home to my babies, MY bed, MY shower and MY coffee maker. A home cooked meal is at the top of my list as well! I'm so glad my kids are off on spring break next week from school. I plan to rest and be at home with them and find our new normal with a 2 year old. God timed their break and this trip perfectly!

There's a couple of things I keep forgetting to share....one is that it didn't take Maggie long to start calling us Mama and Daddy. Well, actually daddy in Chinese is "Baba". Anyway, one of the sweltering hot days that we were in her province and trying to find shorts for the guys and I had carried her all I could, I sat her down in a store. She didn't like one bit and started crying. I was hot, sweaty and not having a lot of sympathy in that moment. When the crying didn't work, she said "Mama, Mama!". Kevin and another mom with us turned around and together said, "Did she just call you Mama?". Don't worry, I picked her up after that. Another day we were enjoying one of our bumpy bus rides (not really) and Maggie and Kevin were monkeying around as usual. By the way, she seems to play with him a lot more than she does me even though she doesn't want him holding her. Anyway, she was trying to get his attention and he was ignoring her on purpose, so she just comes out with, "Baba, Baba!". We both were so surprised...and overjoyed!

I may have already said how blessed we've been to be with such a great group of families while we've traveled, but I'll say it again anyway. They're all Christians, we all have unique stories and believe it or not out of 9 families 5 of them have been to China at least once to adopt already. For one family from Texas this is their third time in China to adopt! Wow! I've been told adoption is addicting, but I didn't really believe it until now. I'm not sure what God's plan is for the Dyes with future adoptions, but I have witnessed first hand how we are called to care for the orphans in their distress (James 1:27) and how God sets the lonely in families (Psalm 68:6). Last night, almost all the families had their kids out on the playground and before we left we had a time of prayer for our travels, our children both here and at home, for our new children's biological parents and for the kids who have to have surgeries or other medical procedures when getting back to the states. It was a precious time. A time we're so thankful we were a part of. Love to all from Guangzhou and Goodnight <3