Emma took a nap on the bus ride to Sanya.
The view from our hotel room
Our birthday boy!!!!!
Bath time
A local market in Haikou It’s not every year that a February birthday boy gets to have his party beside a huge pool with palm trees swaying in the gentle breeze, two water slides calling your name, a gorgeous beach bordered by blue water, and lots of lounge chairs waiting just for you. That’s exactly what Ben got today for his 9th birthday.
We left the capital of the Hainan Province today and arrived in Sanya, a booming beach resort on the southern most tip of the island. A fresh cake topped with real fruit was waiting in our room when we arrived. We gathered around the pool and sang to Ben; then we ate cake and watched while he opened his gifts. His birthday turned out to be very special and memorable. He’s already proving to be a terrific brother to his little sister.
Emma still amazes us. She has shown us that she is indeed a normal 19 month old. She climbs and gets into everything in our room and giggles all the time. She would eat Kix and Cheerios nonstop if I let her. She likes to take baths now, and she can throw a serious temper tantrum when she doesn’t get her way (like not being able to play with the electrical outlet.) But it only lasts a minute or so, then she comes over to me and lays her head on my shoulder, and we cuddle. It’s so sweet. We’ve also noticed, as have the other parents, that these kids are very tough; falls or bumps don’t stop them. They just get right back up and go at it again.
Tomorrow is a “relax day” here in Sanya. One of my goals is to get our guide to translate a letter that I found in our photo album. It is from the gentleman I mentioned in yesterday’s journal. His Chinese name is pronounced “Joe” so we’ll start calling him “Uncle Joe.” He wrote this letter to Emma’s new family. I’m eager to hear what it says.
God continues to amaze us with His perfect way of weaving everything together. For over a year we had prayed that one of the orphanage’s nannies was holding Emma and loving on her, so that she would know how to bond with someone. He did even more than we asked or imagined, just like His word says that He will do. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
We left the capital of the Hainan Province today and arrived in Sanya, a booming beach resort on the southern most tip of the island. A fresh cake topped with real fruit was waiting in our room when we arrived. We gathered around the pool and sang to Ben; then we ate cake and watched while he opened his gifts. His birthday turned out to be very special and memorable. He’s already proving to be a terrific brother to his little sister.
Emma still amazes us. She has shown us that she is indeed a normal 19 month old. She climbs and gets into everything in our room and giggles all the time. She would eat Kix and Cheerios nonstop if I let her. She likes to take baths now, and she can throw a serious temper tantrum when she doesn’t get her way (like not being able to play with the electrical outlet.) But it only lasts a minute or so, then she comes over to me and lays her head on my shoulder, and we cuddle. It’s so sweet. We’ve also noticed, as have the other parents, that these kids are very tough; falls or bumps don’t stop them. They just get right back up and go at it again.
Tomorrow is a “relax day” here in Sanya. One of my goals is to get our guide to translate a letter that I found in our photo album. It is from the gentleman I mentioned in yesterday’s journal. His Chinese name is pronounced “Joe” so we’ll start calling him “Uncle Joe.” He wrote this letter to Emma’s new family. I’m eager to hear what it says.
God continues to amaze us with His perfect way of weaving everything together. For over a year we had prayed that one of the orphanage’s nannies was holding Emma and loving on her, so that she would know how to bond with someone. He did even more than we asked or imagined, just like His word says that He will do. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
Fun in the Sun - February 10, 2007
Daddy shares a sweet moment with Emma this morning
Daddy shares a sweet moment with Emma this morning
Mama & Emma in the pool
The boys had a great time playing in the South China Sea.
Laughter is medicine for the soul.It’s been a great day, especially for Pat, who discovered that the hotel’s breakfast buffet included Cocoa Krispies (one of his favorite cereals), not to mention omelets, pastries, fresh pineapple and melons, bacon, ‘mantou’ (Chinese steamed bread), and lots of other yummy stuff. Of course, Emma still prefers the Chinese noodles with veggies for breakfast. I’m beginning to like it for breakfast myself.
Each day we learn more & more about our little China doll. She loves her speaking Dora doll and her photo albums. She will sit really still and look at photos of Uncle Joe and his wife holding her. She also likes to flip through the pages of her new family album and see the picture of her house and bedroom in America.
Other things we have learned include her being able to eat her weight in Kix. Also she knows who we are if we ask her. She points to Pat when we ask, “Where is Dada?” and points to me when asked about “Mama.” I don’t think she knows Ben and Zane’s names yet, but instead knows them as “guh-guh” (brother). When I ask her, “Where is Emma?” she just looks at me. If I say “may-may” (Chinese for ‘little sister’) she points to herself. It’s soooo sweet.
We are amazed at how smart she is. She learned two words in sign language today: “please” when she wants something and “more” when she’s still hungry. It’s definitely a start in our communicating with each other. What a fast learner!
Ben and Zane spent most of the day swimming in the pool with the other big brothers. They have become great friends. Ben and Zane have also become quite popular with the Asian people because of their blonde hair; they have been asked to be in many family photos. It’s so funny to see them pose with a family that we have never met before. Zane’s hair gets a lot of rubs. He just grins and bears it. We should start charging for these photo op’s. J Emma will now sometimes hold her big brothers’ hands when walking, which means she is beginning to trust them. But for the most part, she’s strictly a ‘mama’s girl.’
Tomorrow we fly to Guangzhou on mainland China, our final stop before heading home. We will leave China on Valentine’s Day after her visa is issued. We are anxious to come home.
(PS: I got the letter from Uncle Joe translated. He said that the day we got Emma was a day full of tears for him. He said that we were blessed to get such a lovely, clever little girl. He wished us a happy future together, then he gave his address so that we could stay in touch.)
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