Last day in Beijing

We are packed and ready for an early morning flight to Guangzhou. Anna's throat is better. Please pray for Amy as she has some congestion, and coughed some during the night. We have been in the wind for a couple of days and in this province it really blows the dust and dirt. Causes some respiratory issues when out in it. We are thankful the pollution has not been as bad. We will be glad for the fresher air in Southern China.
Let me try to catch up on the last couple of days. We have had some long ones! Between that and internet issues, we have had a hard time posting any thing lengthy.

Tuesday after spending the first part of the day at police station taking care of Amy's visa paperwork, we spent the whole afternoon at the train station waiting for train. It was really cold and we were not prepared for the long wait thinking we were leaving on an afternoon train.This is not a common province to adopt from so our guide was not as familiar with booking train tickets. The whole story is complicated but all the trains were sold out until the final one of the day which is the one we took, and it was super full. Quite an experience. There was a man in one our seats so our guide had to confront him. We had the ticket to prove it as seats are supposed to be guaranteed. The man stood up to haggle with our guide and while he stood up, Amy quickly climbed behind him to claim the window seat as she was excited about the train ride. Our guide whispered for Anna and myself to slip in as well. The man left his stuff acting as though he would be coming back to claim his seat. Amy proceeded to get into all his bags so he came back, grabbed his stuff and gave up the fight for the seat. In the meantime, Anna has put her hood on and is trying to disappear during this confrontation. Finally got everyone settled but Anna was feeling bad. Sore throat, freezing from the long wait , and feeling sick to her stomach from the smells on the very crowded train. I had a B. Bag still in my purse from my fun filled day of motion sickness so I stayed on guard the whole trip. Amy is a fidgeter. She likes to pull, push, open, close, touch, poke, wiggle and squirm. Curious George times 10. We got a lecture from the Chinese woman in front of us because Amy liked to set the table down and then back up again. At the train station restroom, squatty potty…..Amy unlocked/opened the door while it was my turn. Helloooo China. I take her separately now! Anna gags when we have to go in there so we have to go as fast as possible! Had to walk through train station after dark which was quite an experience. Needless to say we were glad to finally get back to our Hotel.

Yesterday we went to get Amy some shoes that fit and then to Jade Market, lunch and Great Wall. Was super windy and Anna not up to par so we went as far as she wanted. The heights of section we were on were scary to her so we stopped when she said. She is homesick and tired. It was good to not have to travel anywhere today.

About Amy.
She is doing well. She calls us mama, baba. She says thank you mama, or thank you baba, after everything we give her or do for her. She likes affirmation and likes to please. She talks all the time. We do not understand her but we all smile and try our best. She cracks people up everywhere we go. Chinese people who understand her that is. And our guide. He laughs at her a lot. Tells us she is funny in her take on things. She is not trying to be funny to get attention. Just makes funny observations.
She is into everything and constantly on the move!

She misses her grandma.

Things she has said as per our guide (all in Chinese):

I do not drink from a bottle, I drink from a cup. Liquor comes in a bottle.
(We put her water in a cup, needless to say)

After leaving the orphanage on gotcha day, she cried to go to her grandmas.

My grandma says, I might be a big sister some day.

She told our guide to tell the taxi driver to drive more carefully! He gets too close to the other cars. We all laughed. Mr. Taxi driver did not.

She always asks where we are going and if wherever we are is "our home".

She likes Scott, Anna and I.

When asked if she wanted to go to Beijing, she said yes. I have never been to Beijing. My Grandma has never been to Beijing.

Then the next day,when asked if she wanted to ride the train she said yes. I have never been on a train. My Grandma has never been on a train.

Our guide has said that even though she says these things with sadness, the fact that she is speaking of grandma without crying is progress.

At the Jade market yesterday the tour guide held up three bracelets to see if we could tell which one was made of jade.
Amy said, one is for mama, one is for big sister, and one is for niu niu (her nickname for herself.)

My grandma had a bracelet.

Some men tried to sell us some souvenir glass zodiac balls. She made the whole group laugh by telling them it would just fall on the floor and break!


At lunch she ordered herself some steamed buns without us knowing what was going on.They arrived with filling of some sort and she ate part of them. She made all our waitresses laugh. Told them thank you for the buns but that she preferred them plain.

Also had coke for the first time. Told the waitresses how much she liked the coke and that she had never had coke before. They gave her one to take home. She hugged it and said thank you, then got up and put it in Scott's back pack. Asked for it when we got home.

Amy has learned to wash her hands, brush her teeth and take a bath. Things it appears she did not know how to do.

We are so grateful for your prayers. Please pray for our flight tomorrow. Please continue to pray for Amy, Anna, Scott and myself.

God has been so faithful. Through the good and the difficult.