I have a new favorite quote

I have a new favorite quote! I found it off a friend's blog and HAD to share it! We all have DREAMS or those things we always wanted to accomplish or experience. We may push them aside for various reasons, like we may think we don't have the time, money or support. Chances are we are cheating ourselves out of our best life!!! This is why I loved this quote!!

"So many of our dreams at first seem impossible,then they seem improbable,and then, when we summon the will, they become inevitable."
Christopher Reeve


WHAT'S YOUR DREAM???????????

We spotted the BIG MAN

Yes, she really IS wearing her crown for Santa.......can you

say DIVA??????????????????

Jonah: So my brother says if I sit on your lap you'll give me candy?

Yes, that's right! We found the big guy himself hanging out at our local Festival of Trees! I couldn't help but snap a couple pictures as this is the "three musketeers'" first Santa sighting since they are all three together now! Everything this year is "through new eyes"! WHAT we did without Jonah ?I don't know!!! Those three have the BEST conversations amongst themselves! Their take on the season's festivities thus far is hilarious! Jonah is new at this , but no worries, Mia is there to explain it all!!!!! Mia says Santa lives in Alaska, Ashton says he lives at Grandpa's and Jonah is utterly confused! One thing we have been making sure he gets the story on is the true reason for Christmas. He seems to really understand, as much as can be expected and it is so sweet when he sees a Nativity scene. He names off Mary , Joseph and baby Jesus and then he names off the three wise men. Evidently, Grandpa Rick is one of them! Wow! Dad, I knew you were old but...... you really have been around for a while!!:)

Thanksgiving on the farm

This is a shot of the Mallory boys working off dinner!!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at the Mallory house. Kai woke up and decided to put together a hay ride for the little ones . As you can see it was a HUGE hit! OK, so it wasn't the traditional horse and buggy but here on the sod farm you get what you get! SO,,,, one four wheeler, some stolen hay- ok "borrowed" (from the farmer next to us) and the trailer typcally called the "garbage trailer" transformed magically into a GREAT new tradition! We even had weather in the 50's and sunshine to top off the day! I don't know who had more fun, the kids being towed around or the drivers! MOM, DAd, and Kai took turns doing the honors!

We finished off the day with LOTS of food at dinner at grandma Mallory's house! We live only a few houses down and are on the farm just on a country gravel road so of course we travelled in style......... you guessed it... a hay ride all the way to grandma's house!!!!!! Here are some pictures of the day!!

A friend in need

Today , I am thinking about my dear friend Lana and her daughter Emma. Emma is 8 and a wonderful, beautiful girl. She always has a smile and is loved by everyone. In fact, Jack wants to marry her! Last weekend, Emma was rushed down to Salt Lake to Primary Children's Hospital and was diagnosed with Leukemia. We are devastated that she has to endure this. We are sad for her little body that will have to endure Chemo for 2 and 1/2 years and all that that brings. We are sad for Emma's family who will watch it all every day. But I am also SO grateful to know that she is at an excellent hopspital in the very best care. I am grateful she has one of the best Oncologist in the west taking care of her!!! I am grateful she has the kind of Leukemia that is most common and very curable.MOSTLY, MOSTLY , MOSTLY I am grateful for our Savior who loves Emma even more than we do(hard to imagine I know) and will see her through this trial . I believe she will have help from the other side that only children can have. So today, I am profoundly grateful for my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ who know the beginning from the end and are a prayer away always and always.
I don't know why I am sharing this but when Jack was diagnosed as being profoundly deaf and we were waiting to hear back if his hearing nerve was fit for an implant (his only chance at hearing the world... ever) I was praying so hard one morning. I was BEGGING the Lord to PLEASE PLEASE let my little boy hear. I was telling the Lord how much I loved this little boy. I would do ANYTHING he wanted me to do, just let Jack hear . I was at a low I hadn't been ever except at the passing of my mom. I think though at that moment, I was humbled enough to really "listen" to the spirit. I heard in my heart and my mind the words " I know, I love him too". At that moment, I knew He heard my pleadings in prayer and told me what I already knew. The Savior and Heavenly Father loved him more that I can even imaginge. They loved him even more than I, his mother does. I also got the DISTINCT IMPRESSION that "they had it covered" so to speak. They knew him , they knew what he needed and they were "on it". So, THATS what I am grateful for this Thanksgiving. We have no idea the blessings in store for Emma because HE LOVES HER TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love you Lana and Emma.

I have been tagged

I have bben tagged by my friend Amy who brought home the beautiful Presley Clair this year from China. I am supposed to list 7 obscure facts about me so here goes. I am pretty open and it seems I wear my heart on my sleeve, so I don't know if anything will be a big shocker but I'll give it a try.
1. I am obsessed with airplanes. I LOVE to fly. When I was a little girl my dad used to take me to the base of the international runway at LAX and we would watch the huge jumbo jets make their landing. It felt like we could touch the belly of those planes as we watched from the hood of our car. Good times:)

2. I am a closet writer. I love to write poetry when no one is looking. I love to read quotes that can change me/you in some way for good.

3. I am pretty sure I have "adult ADHD" I always have my mind going in 17 directions. No wonder I never get anything done!! Maybe I need medication!! Ha Ha

4. I'll try anything once. I want to live my life having tried anything once! There is such a big world out there. You don't have to follow the crowd to be happy.......... Heck, I even pulled my child out of school one day 4 years ago and homeschooled him ever since-( except for one year) CRAZY huh? It turned out to be a wonderful experience I never thought I'd do. This taught me that you should always keep an open mind or you might lose out on life's greatest adventures!

5. I too want to LIVE in China someday and help children in orphanages.

6. I have a nasty family history of breast cancer in my family so at the age of 30 I went in for a "new pair". I'll just leave it at that. Let's just say now my chances of getting BC are less than yours!!:)

7. When I was a kid, I thought Jesus lived in the moon!:)- Now I still know he is always near.:)

Mallory Family Temple Day

Last Friday evening we were able to take Jonah to the Twin Falls LDS Temple . I took lots of pictures before we left because A. I wanted to record this special day for our family.

B. All 5 of my children had clean faces all at once!!

C. All 5 of my kids had a clean face!!

D. B and C !!!!!!!!!

Joking aside , isn't that just a cute bunch of kids? Yep, I am tipping the scale of"sanity" and my house is often loud and very busy but it is MINE (ours) and I couldn't imagine my life without any of these amazing little people we are raising. We have lots of ups and downs, but life is never dull and it's never been sweeter. Jarrod and I are slowly getting used to parenting FIVE KIDS. He has lost hope of a quiet room in the house (until bedtime) but we try really hard to take advantage of that time effectively even if it's just chatting as we fold the last bit of laundry or lay there exhausted watching the news together. Patience is being learned and memories are being made daily. At the end of the day, no matter how crazy it's been ,we know that FAMILY IS EVERYTHING!!!!! Our day at the temple will be forever etched in my heart. In our religion, in case you aren't familiar with the LDS practices, the Temple is a very special place to us. When a child is adopted there is a beautiful ceremony "sealing" the adopted child to our forever family. It was a beautiful evening for our family , one which we will never forget. Jonah knits this family in a way I could have never imagined. He balances out the mix of personalities we have among our kids and just "fits". Only a loving Heavenly Father could give such a rich blessing. My heart will forever ache for the first 5 years of his life when his family had not found him yet, but somehow it's all ok. Somehow , it has been as it should be and would not have worked any other way. I hope I am making sense. There is a quote I sent out in Mia's adoption announce ment years ago and it has meant so much to me lately as I look at my perfectly mixed little family. I will share it with you now........................

" We witness a miracle every time a child enters into life. But those who make their journey home across time and miles, growing withing the hearts of those who wait to love them, are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us by God's very own hands". by Kristi Larsen

Welcome home Jonah ! Welcome home!

Our day trip to Lake Cleveland

Two weeks ago we had a real treat!! By now you all know we have become friends with the family who is in the process of adopting Jonah's very best friend in China. His name is Jin Pei and he will be coming home to beautiful Astoria, Oregon to a wonderful family. They came for a visit a couple weeks ago and we took a little jaunt to Lake Cleveland. I will post better pictures of the Moyer family when I get them ,but for now, here is a brief synopsis of our fun!! It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and the weather was nice. The company was great . The Moyers have two daughters who are so darling. They too are adopted from China. They are about Ashton and Mia's age so they all had fun getting to know one another! While we were there ,Mia got hit by a rather large rock in the back of the head ..........hmmmmmm Ashton was supposedly aiming for the lake......... and got a nice little gash . Charley, Jin Pei's Daddy , came to the rescue and we got the bleeding stopped and Mia got to sport a nice " Pocahontas" bandage around her head for the remainder of the trip. After just a few tears, she went right on hiking and having fun around the Lake. We can't wait until they get Jin Pei home so our boys can be reunited and pick up where they left off!
I know it is no accident we live in neighboring states and have become "family" with the Moyers! I will keep you posted on their journey to bring him home. He is ,after all ,a part of the family! He's a part of Jonah's life in Jinhua ,China that he will get to keep!! That ,in itself , is amazing. Someone upstairs has guided Jonah's way home at every step along the way ,and this is just one more piece of the puzzle He has blessed us with.

Should I be WORRIED?

OK, I understand that Sunday afternoons can get a little boring for the youngers at our house and almost anything can count as entertainment but do I worry ??

Introducing.............The Food Coach

As many of you know adoption is not cheap . In the interest of doing my part to defray the recently incurred expenses as we brought our son Jonah home, I have started a business. The name of the business is "The Food Coach". I will now be for hire, if you will, for personal weight loss counseling. The goal in my practice is wellness, not necessarily weight loss in the sense of "getting skinny" per se' . I have always had a passion for wellness as a whole and believe life should be enjoyed, savored, and rewarding no matter your endeavor. Achieving a healthy state , no matter the weight on the scale, is the goal. Whether you have heart disease, diabetes, chronic illness, need more energy, or would simply like to shed some pounds to look and feel your best, I can help in a personal, fun, practical, and results driven way. I have a degree from the Dept. of Health and Nutrition Sciences at ISU and in my department I had a 3.96 GPA. For years , well, as long as I can remember , I have had a love for food and it's relationship to our health and well being. So many diseases we suffer from in our country today are preventable!!! Yes, preventable!! "Harvard Public Health" showed recently in research that over 60 % of Americans suffered from "diet related" illness. Since health is the #1 predictor of happiness why shouldn't we treat ourselves to a happier , healthier life by giving our body the best possible fuel? Food is our friend, food is our comfort, it is our fuel, and it's one part of your life that you cannot afford to neglect.

I will offer such services as assessments ( body fat, fisceral body fat,metabolic rate, and more), setting goals that YOU are comfortable with, menu planning, clearing your pantry, shopping with you (the grocery store is the best place to educate yourself!!) and even cooking in your home. Lifestyle changes are sometimes hard to make so don't do it alone. I offer a discounted rate for " buddies". So grab some support, a sister or your best friend or spouse, and watch the pounds melt away, your metabolism increase, your energy skyrocket!!!

My rates are affordable ( WAY cheaper than the local gym even) and you get personal, tailored attention and a plan that is just right for YOU. So "just do it". You are worth it!!

Look at her now

`ok

I was having just one of those days today and needed some time alone, so I sat down at my computer and started to rummage through my family pictures-the ones of the kids that always , always bring a smile to my face. Well, sure enouph as I stared at this picture of Mia I teared up. She came to us a little over two years ago. She was 22 months old and was our first adoption and our first girl. All of us were uneasy but so smitten by this little ball of fire. We have all been sucked in by her chortle of a laugh and have been charmed by her cheesy grin. She is bossy, girly and tough. She rules her brothers with the whip of her pink feather boa and loves every minute of it. She has welcomed Jonah with open arms as she does everyone who walks in the door. She was Phoebe on list 20 now she is Mia Mallory, a forever member of our family. Ups, downs and in betweens, she is why we had the desire to adopt again and go out on a limb. She has changed us all for the better and we hold on to her for dear life.

Enjoy the pictures!

Fear? What's that?

I found this and loved it. It impresses upon me that being the Mom to 5 crazy kids is not for whimps!!

Jonah and Jin Pei at Jinhua

This was taken with a disposable camera I sent in March for his birthday. Of course he is hanging out with Jin Pei. I have lots of others but most are just Jonah in front of various spots around the orphanage. They looked like those two "ruled the school". Jonah picked some goldfish out for Jin Pei today at the store. So cute.

Well, we are headed out on his first camping trip. We have been packing the trailor for 2 days now with lots of food and fun snacks. We have baked cookies and done all kinds of things to prepare. This morning in very broken english Jonah told me " I like camping" . I thought it was great he loves it and we aren't even out of the driveway yet!

Want some eggs with that HAM?

Well it has been 9 days home and Jonah is doing so well. He has brief periods of grief for the life and people he has grown up with. He is so brave and is taking all this change in stride. Here is an example of our son and his coping skills! He seems to love his new family and he is always hamming it up for us! I foresee a class clown in our future! I am so exhausted still as we have had a busy week with our local International Dance Festival. It was lovely housing part of the China team. We feel we got to enjoy an extended stay in China. Our emotions are on the surface as we are so grateful for the son we have home and the beautiful culture he has brought home with him.

MY TWINS

While we were in China, my good friend Sarah , who is a fantastic photographer, was watching my kids one day and decided to do a photo shoot. Here is just one of the darling pictures she took. She truly captured their relationship. They are best friends and Mia takes care of Ashton like a mother hen. Ashton is hearing impaired and she ALWAYS makes sure he hears everything- if he doesn't she will grab his face and repeat what he needs to hear. I did not teach her this- she just knows his needs and is always there like a sister should be. I shutter to think what life would be like without her, without him. Family is everything!!!!!!!!!!!!

Farewell

Well, the day is here where we say good bye to our CHI "family friends". It has been so wonderful watching these families form. What an honor!! I just love all the children and they will have a special place in my heart. We are so excited to come home to the states to be with our family and watch Jonah as he settles in to his new life. He is more loving every day and starting to show it in the cutest ways. He still has to be in the right mood to show affection but when it comes, you can see he really means it. We went shopping on the street today and he bought trinkets for Jin Pei and Ashton, Mia and for Jin Ming who he calls Ming Ming. So sweet. He talks about Jin Pei all the time . OH- I almost forgot! HE LOVES KETCHUP!!! He even tried to drink it after all his fries were gone! He loves bacon too. Yep....... he's a Mallory boy. He doesn't really like veggies which surprised me, being from the region he was in, but we will work on that when we get home! Speaking of home, We are flying out early tomorrow so I need to go to bed! I can't wait to have by babies at home in my arms again! Idaho here we come!!!

Jonah is in the house

Jonah is slowly getting more comfortable with his new family. He is still really quiet and a little weird around lots of people and in any public situation. Then when we are back together , just us as a family, he comes out of his shell and is quite a ham. He said I love you to me today after I told him I love you. He was only parroting me but it was still great! He is testing us with some interesting behavior but nothing that wasn't expected. He will figure out soon that we love him no matter what and will be comfortable with his new boundaries. I am already seeing progress. We are super busy here so I will make this short. 3 more days and we will be HOME!!!
Mare

Hey all !! We are in Guangzhou!! After quite a delay due to weather (rain, lightning and wind) in the Hangzhou airport, we finally took off to Guangzhou. We love Guangzhou and feel like it's a little piece of home here. Hangzhou was absolutely gorgeous and I definitely left my heart in Jin hua, but it is good to be here with the other families from CHI who have been waiting for their kiddos like we have. To see these new family bonds taking shape is exhilirating!! We had lunch at Lucy's and the kids thought they had died and gone to heaven. After 10 days of chinese food (ok... I will admit we did have Mc Donalds a few meals) we loved the American fare at Lucy's. They have things like burgers, fries, quesadillas, BLT's and even apple pie!! Jonah had his physical today for his Visa and he was so brave! They did some poking and prodding but he was a champ. He is a real trooper. We then played in a local park for a while where I fell -which was evidently GREAT entertainment for Jonah- He laughed until he was in tears. I guess I'd do anything for a smile where Jonah is concerned , but that is not what I had on my list. No worries, I am fine and Jonah keeps asking me to do it again! I won't have pictures tonight- sorry!!!! My camera isn't charged enough to transfer the pics to the laptop so I will do it in the AM. Good night from China y'all! Thanks for your love and prayers! We love you!
Marianne

Happy Late Birthday, Marianne!

Definitely worth the wait, though, huh?????

Love,

Cynthia

Go read this

Make sure you scroll down all the way down to "older posts" and click on it. It will tell in detail more about our orphanage visit.

Where Jonah slept

This is Jin Pei's bed with the blanket from his momma on it and Jonah's is to the left of it. We did get back the blankets I sent over the last few months, including the one I made and sent via US Mail!! It was very well used so he did sleep with it!

Jin Ya

This is another one of Jin Ya. I tell of her in the long post below these pictures. Her parents died when she was young, but she does remember them so China considers her unadoptable because she has memories of her parents. I am on a mission to convince them otherwise.

Mavery on the run

This is Mavery, the spunky girl who did not want her photo taken. She too was woken up from her nap for our arrival and she wasn't having it- the photo shoot I wanted that is. She warmed up a little with a sucker from Jonah. Shannon, you have your work cut out for you! This girl knows what she wants!

Emma

Here is Emma, What a beauty she is and sweet too! She loved the little purple purse with legos we brought her. With those big eyes, I have a feeling she'll get anything she wants once she's home!!

Jin Pei and his backpack from Mom and Dad

Thanks for the cool stuff MOM!!!

" You woke me up for THIS?"

This is Peggy's Benjamin. He is a doll. He was woken up from his nap for our arrival and wan't real thrilled.

Her name is Jin Ya

OH MY HEART

Hello Everyone! We are on day 3 of having Jonah and he is so fun. He is opening up more everyday. I am finding that he gets very quiet around lots of people. He just freezes. I feel sad for him , but let me tell you, once it is just us back at our hotel the real Jonah emerges again. He sings, serves us water- he takes the glasses from the mini bar and pours each of us a glass, passes them out with pride and never drinks one himself. Jarrod says this is very traditional. He is playing up a storm with his brothers and is definitely all boy. He will fit right in! Last night he did the cutest thing. You see, every night he prepares his bed for bedtime with this little ritual of foling down his blankets perfectly and having his stuffed animals in place-all lined up and his pillow "fluffed" and put back in the perfect spot. Well, last night he did his little ritual and then looked over at my bed. He looked at me with those eyes as if to ask if he could just sleep with his Mama...... of course I said yes and he snuggled right in with a huge grin on his face. I think he has decided he likes having a mama. It boggles my mind how much he is just experiencing now for the first time. He waited 6 years to crawl in bed with Mom and Dad ? How many times in the last 6 years did he go to sleep lonely? I got to see his bed and it had a wooden bottom-much like a child bed but without a mattress, just a slab of wood with a bamboo mat on it. Next to his bed was Jin Pei's bed. I am so grateful they have had eachother. I am glad Jin Pei knows he will be home soon and can see Jonah. I knew who alot of the kids were at the orphanage because their files were sent to my agecy also and I keep in touch with all their mamas. They are no longer "pictures"of cute little kids, they are real ,beautiful human beings , orphans,who just lit up when they saw us. The are loved at the orphanage-it is apparent. However, you can see in their eyes that they wanted to be the one who got to go "Home" with their family. They were all beautiful, precious little people with little personalities of their own, a story of their own, and a purpose on this Earth. My heart broke as I had to leave. I pray for all my new little friends every day. I know some will get homes, some will not, but one thing is for sure, it changes you. Going there changes you FOREVER. Believe me when I say my wheels have been turning non stop since we left. There has to be a way to do more for these kids. One in particular, I will try to post her photo here is a beautiful girl 13 years old who is there because her parents died. She remembers them so for this reason, no one in China would want her and the Government assumed all these years that no one in America would want her either-just because she remembers her parents. She is 13- she is beautiful, friendly, very smart and kind, She should be shopping at the mall and crushing on boys for heaven's sake. I asked the orphanage director if there was a way I could convince the powers that be that there would be families out there in America who would feel as I do and they said YES!!! They said if I could get an agency to request her file, they would make sure her application was sent. They said it is in my hands because they have so many rules over them , but if the CCAA knew a family /families wanted her she would have a good chance of going up for adoption to that family. Of course my first thought was,"I will be back in 6 months" but I think my husband is out of money!! - I spent time with her and she is so lovely. I gave her a bracelet my MIL made for a gift and she lit up. I will do everything in my power to get her a home -(if it can't be mine). I hate to think of her future -She just needs a Mom and Dad to guide her and love her-she had that once and for unknown reasons, her family was taken from her life. -UHG!!

Well, I'd better go- The boys are doing great and so are we. I miss my babies at home terribly but we only have 6 days left! I love all of you and will post more tonight!

Two new pictures!!!!

Marianne has found a way to download photos!! It still takes forever, but she is starting to get them through! Yeah!!! Here is my Jin Pei with the ever-precious Jonah during the Mallory's visit to Jinhua....

The boys had on their matching Spiderman watches we sent them last month, and apparently they don't want to take them off!!! At Jin Pei's feet is the Diego backpack Marianne lugged all the way to China for us -- NINE pounds of goodies for our boy!!! She said he immediately ripped into the bag and stuck stickers all over his arms.

He will fit right in here!!!

And here is a photo of what our sons do best -- hang out with the girls!!!

Marianne and I will have to discuss the best way to barricade our homes from teenage girls in a few years!!!!

Enjoy. She said she will be sending more later tonight, but I have to get some sleep -- I have been living in two opposing time zones since Sunday!!!! If I keep this up, I will already be on China Time by the time we leave to pick up Jin Pei!!!

Cynthia

Jonah is a HAM

We have had quite a day! We went to his SWI and our boy wouldn't even look at us all the way there. He was silent! He had a good time once we got there and saw his best friend Jin Pei and all the other kids. He passed out the toys we bought yesterday for the SWI as well as some candy and cookies. He took Jin Pei's backpack and made a beeline from the parking lot to Jin Pei. Sooo cute!He was very proud to be passing out the goods to everyone! He was very meticulous and made sure no one was left out! OK, so it was time to go. We got to stay a long time. I got lots of pictures and video ( I will post them soon-just have to figure out why they won't leave my computer). I got to hug and kiss all the kids. The director was very kind and let me ask about each one and was eager to share any information. OK- so as I said, it was now time to go andI was wondering how he would be-would he want to stay? Did he spend a day with us and decide it wasn't working for him? He had been soooo cold all day. I just wasn't sure! Well, he waved good bye like nothing, climbed in the van, climbed up on my lap !! Not really a snuggle but more than I had gotten all day:) Well, it took about 30 minutes and he BURST INTO SONG!!!!! He sang and sang and sang! It was so cute. Then he started feeding everyone, making silly faces and started to talk about "Diego" (the boy on Jin Pei's backpack) For two hours he would not stop! Our Jonah has shown his hammy side and is happy I think to be with us. What a brave little boy!

Finally Brothers!!!!!!

12 more hours

In 12 hours we will be a family of seven! I am so grateful our wait is almost over. I just want to hug and kiss my little boy. We really like Hangzhou. It is a beautiful city!! I hope I can sleep tonight. I will be loading lots of pictures tomorrow. We love all of you and can't wait to share our day tomorrow with you all!
Mare

The gang's all here!!!

(...assuming Jarrod took the photo!!)

:-)

By my calculations, I believe tomorrow U.S.A.-time is Jonah Day!!!!!!

Love to the Mallory Fan Club,

Cynthia

And a photo from Guangzhou!

Hello everyone!!! This is Cynthia, Jin Pei's mom, and I will be helping the Mallory gang by posting photos and messages if they can't get them on the blog themselves....

If you need to reach me, I am at carawen@centurytel.net.

And here is a message from Marianne I received this morning!

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Sorry to be out of touch for so long but we have been on the overnight train from GZ to Shanghai. It is a 17 hour train ride. It was soooo fun! The soft sleepers are anything but soft but it was so fun to see the country side and hang out with typical Chinese people just doing their thing! GUESS WHAT??? On the way to Shanghai we stopped in JINHUA!!!!!!!!!!!! The stop was quick-5 minutes or so just to let passengers on but I just about flipped my lid! My heart about burst! There are lots of little boys around us it seems and they are so cute! The food has been good and we are having a ball. I feel out of touch though because of our travelling but tomorrow we will be in Hangzhou (by tomorrow night) and will stay put so we can post every day. I will send you pictures of us in GZ tonight when we get back. We are going swimming. It is like 103 degrees outside here and humid so a dip in the pool will feel great. Later we will take a taxi to “Old Town” and see some sights. Hope all is well. Will post pictures tonight.
Love from Shanghai!!!!!!!!
Marianne

************************************

We are in CHINA

Hey all! We are just checking in! We have been here for 2 days and have covered lots of miles by train getting from Guangzhou to Shanghai. We got to see lots of countryside . Jarrod loved seeing all the farm ground. What an adventure as we took an overnight train ride across the eastern coast of China. It took 17 hours but it was worth it. We had a sleeper car and figured it was a once in a lifetime adventure and it WAS!! I am so exhausted and SO need to go to bed so I will try to load some pictures of our trip so far. #^ more hours and we will meet our son. Please pray for him and for us as we begin this journey with our little " Emperor".
Love from Shanghai!!

The cutest one yet

more picture -zommed in by my good friend Cynthia