Gorgeous Guangzhou

We've had more busy, fun, memorable days.  So Monday we went to the Guangzhou Zoo with the three other families in our 'travel group'.  Here are the moms and our precious little boys (and my precious girls too).  The other three families left their big kids at home.  Aren't we cute?  :)  Oh and our wonderful guide, Miko, says we are the first group she's ever had to be adopting all boys. 

 

The zoo was very nice, although I think the Chongqing Zoo had more beautiful landscaping and exhibits.  But both had great animals including...

More pandas!

And I kinda loved that they had a turtle exhibit.  It was full of Red-eared sliders and box turtles.  Basically it was what my girls would like our backyard to look like.

Now this zoo did do one thing differently which we found out when we went to see Ellenies favorite animal...snakes.

The picture does not adequately depict all that is going on.  You can probably find 4 or 5 of the white bunnies hopping around.  Can you see the 3 or 4 chickens?  Is this an American farm exhibit?  Nope.  They are theside show.  They are really the next meal for the 4 or 5 GIANT pythons that are also in there!!  Every snake got to live with its own live prey.  Every tank had chicks or mice or even live baby moles.  It was sorta National Geographic cool and sorta not.  

So after the zoo and naps, we had to get ready for our big night out on the Pearl River Cruise.  Isn't there one in Mississippi too?

James loves to be in the carrier and I definitely think it's done wonders for our bonding.  As a solid 30lb sack of sugar, he is not doing wonders for my back.  Love every minute though.

My sassy molassies before we set sail...

And after we were cruising. Isn't it beautiful?

We finished the night off with ice cream which he just could not understand.  So delicious but so cold!

Today, Tuesday, was our next big day!  The whole reason we came to Guangzhou was to come, in person, and submit our adoption papers from last week along with a gazillion other pieces of paperwork for James' US Immigration Visa.  It's a big deal.  Like he will be a US citizen when his feet hit US soil in Atlanta big deal.  At that moment he has all the rights and freedoms of a US citizen big deal.  So we had our picture made outside.

We will pick up his Visa tomorrow, Wednesday, and be able to fly home Thursday.  I am having mixed feelings about leaving.  I think James probably is or will too. :)  Brad and the girls are ready to BE home.  Now, I can't wait to have James home and begin our new life with him, but I have really enjoyed China.  Probably much more than I thought I would.  I've loved the exciting energy, the friendly people, the rich history, the interesting street scenes, the beautiful architecture, and the delicious food. 

There's always so much to see, to process, to understand about a new place and just too little time.  These pictures are all from today as we went to a late wholesale market and then walked to our neighborhood grocery/ department store - so much color, texture, beauty.  If only you could hear and smell these pictures as well...

After all that stimulation, We needed to find our Chi so we went back to the garden at our hotel.  Love this sweet picture of my sweet chickadees.

And now the one you've been waiting for...

So thankful I get to see this smile about a hundred times a day now.  He's the best part of China by far.  So blessed to get to bring him home.