It was a good day. It was a challenging day. We got Leah today and it was a very wonderful experience. I also had a little trouble with Jessie, which is to be expected. So much change in these little lives. So much time that has gone by without much direction or training. At times over the last several days I have wondered if we are absolutely crazy, and after a brief mental pause, I realize that there is no doubt that we are. But I also believe, day in and day out, that this is what God called us to do at this time. When things become challenging, you have to keep that in perspective and ask God for a little guidance.

The day started with our typical trek around Nanhu Park. Our guide took us to the bank this morning to exchange money and then told us about a tree park that it up the street from the hotel. It ended up being Nanhu Park, so we made the circuit one more time!

We arrived at the entrance and I tried to take a picture of my girls, but some are starting not to cooperate!

I am throwing in this picture because I thought the building was pretty. That is all …

The park seems like a nice place to take a little lunch break!

A picture of a couple of my pretty girls on the Nanhu Bridge.

We found a couple of little places by the hotel to eat and decided to try one today called Western Street Bar. It has basically stolen most of the color schemes and logo from Starbucks. But the food was pretty decent and the pizza was extra spicy! Since Riley doesn’t like to be in FRONT of the camera, I decided to put her behind it.

Problem is, once she gets the camera, she doesn’t want to give it back!!

She doesn’t follow direction well….

… and she hits the shutter button at the MOST inopportune times!

But, sometimes she does get a decent shot.

We went back to the hotel to wait for Leah’s arrival. This is my room:

This is the girls room:

Just saying…

The highlight for me today was at one point I was on the bed playing solitare and Jessie came over to take a nap by me (after checking to see if Riley approved) and she laid her head on my chest and watched me play for quite awhile. Then Riley came over and was watching me on the other side and she started gently scratching my arm. It was three or four minutes that I wished would have continued for longer! But, I will take what I can get.

Finally, at around 3:30, they called and told us that Leah was on her way up. THIS is how adoption greetings should happen. We opened the door to a huge smile and Leah calling out “Hi Mommy. Hi Daddy!” The only person with a better intro to their kid was John and Karin Williamson.

After getting almost NO information with any of our other adoptions, we were presented with a huge amount of information on Leah!

Riley wasn’t sure what to do with all the excitement.

As many of your know, Leah’s artwork is quite well known in these parts. The orphanage had been collecting all of her prize money, and Leah happily handed that money over to Kelly as a gift! Which we promptly told her we would keep for her use.

Here the directors of the orphanage are showing us various awards she has won, including one of children that earned her the top award in the province recently.

Leah wanted to show Kelly that award winning picture …

Then it was time for the directors that had traveled with Leah to leave. As always, this is such an emotional time. Even with the joy that Leah brought to meeting her new family, there still is the pain of leaving those who have been so close to her for so very long.

As we were going to move over to the new room, Jessie did something that completed scared Leah and she started crying. So, we figured that ANOTHER walk around Nanhu park was in order, this time with the brand new wheelchair that came with Leah.

So, on an average day in Ohio, as a family of eleven, we often times get strange looks. John Brandt can attest to that. I can now say that is NOTHING to the looks you get in China when you are an white couple with a white daughter walking around with FOUR Asian daughters, one that is in a wheelchair. We look like Ripley’s over here! Just to prove the point, I took two pictures just so that you could see what we endure here. And I could have taken a million more!

Oh well. We had an enjoyable time on the walk and it allowed Leah a little time to adjust to everyone outside of the small confines of the little hotel rooms.

Tonight we ate in the hotel’s Chinese restaurant, which was pretty good. Unfortunately, I am acquiring additional shy girls into the family!

I ran into a little trouble with Jessie and Riley after Kelly took Leah up to the room. They started getting goofy and that moved into just being rude in a restaurant full of people. I took their food away from them (don’t worry … they had eaten plenty by this point) then took them upstairs and made one stay in one room and one in the other. After a few minutes I brought Ali into the room with me and Riley and talked to her about what happened. She was fine and apologized. I explained to her that she had to help with Jessie. Jessie does things to gain Riley’s approval and doesn’t know when to stop.

Then I took Ali over to the other room and talked to Jessie. She was pretty mad at me and said she wasn’t going to eat or sleep or play with her ipod. Everyone left her and I in the room together and I just sat there with her in silence. After awhile she broke down and started crying pretty hard and Kelly came back in. We comforted her and brought everyone back together. It is so challenging taking these beautiful young girls and providing some structure and direction into their lives. They are such good girls, just full of a TON of energy! Later, Jessie let me give her a huge and a kiss, so I think we are OK now!

Tomorrow we have to go do all the paperwork to finalize Leah’s adoption. Wednesday we go to some park (hopefully not Nanhu Park!!) and then it is off to Guangzhou! Time keeps moving forward!

Cameron