It's Official! Consulate Appointment and Goodbye Guangzhou

Two Peas in a Pod
Originally uploaded by gbchiles2850.

The year-and-a-half of paperwork culminated in our appointment at the American Consulate yesterday. We, along with 60 other families, held up our right hands and swore that our paperwork was true and correct. It was very moving, and we all cheered when it was over.

We all went out to dinner at a Thai restaurant, then headed back to the hotel to pack in earnest. We bought a huge suitcase for about $10, and boy did we need it. It won't last longer than the trip home, but that's what you get for $10.

Lily and Leland had so much fun playing with Grandma and Grandpa last night that I thought we would get a knock on the door telling us to keep it down! They sure slept well after their play time (Grandpa and Grandma, that is!)

We can't believe how blessed we are to have Leland in our family. He just fits right in and feels like he's been with us a lot longer than a week and a half. He has bonded with us so well, and we know that it's all of our prayers. We can't wait to start his medical treatment, and hope that he will be running around like crazy by this summer.

This is our last blog in China. We leave for the airport in 3 hours, so we're off to our final breakfast buffet at the White Swan, and then a final pack. We've had a great two weeks in China! Our guides have been fantastic. It's unbelievable how much work they do for us behind the scenes so everything goes smoothly for all of the families. Thank you Susan and Jack!

And thanks to all of you for the e-mails and comments. They definitely make us feel more connected to home, and we especially appreciate your prayers. Goodbye for now. I'll post again when we get home and settled in.