Loving my Sherpa and thankful for the simple gifts...

You know you must be feeling better when you wake up to poop all over your arms and you don't get sick!  It's been a rough couple of days on the home front and we appreciate your prayers and kind words.    

Tomorrow is another big day...we leave at 7:00 am to go to our consulate appointment. This should be a good test for getting Lily up and going early for our trip home in just a few days.  She likes to snuggle and wakes up VERY slow in the mornings...should be a lot fun!

Michael has been amazing and I couldn’t ask for a better Sherpa!  He continues to stay steadfast even when his wife is sick and his daughter still won’t let him hold her without crying. He looked at me last night and said “you are beautiful even when you are sick”…just the medicine I needed. 

Even in the midst of some definite lows the past 48 hours I am thankful for the simple gifts like….finding a “real” bathroom just in time (if any of you have even been to the Chinese bathrooms you will know what I’m talking about!)…giggles from our Lilypad…watching her start to walk…sprite and ice cubes…a stroller that Lily loves…learning words like “boola” (no), deng deng (wait)…howla (it’s ok)…and “booka” (don’t cry) which have been our life line…a good night's rest...the fact that Michael didn’t make me take a second dose of the Chinese herbs that Kathy gave me (they looked like caviar and tasted horrible…she told me this morning that they induced sickness!!!  Good thing I didn’t know about that when I took it the first time)…having two days of no meetings…and being two days closer to coming home. 

Today we took the famous red couch photos.  It is a tradition for all the families who have adopted to take pictures on the red velvet couches that are in the lobby of our hotel.  As you can see…the kids are not quite sure what to think of it all.

Hanna, Grace, Lily, Shaupoo, Silay, Daniel and Mary

Our travel group and all of our children

Lily is testing the waters no doubt and we are learning that she responds best when we are very firm with her (as the Chinese women do with their children).  She can turn it on and off like a light as you can see below from our photo shoot this morning…I know in time her smile will be bright and happy in the arms of her daddy who loves her so much. 

I'm thankful today was better.  Sherpa is wiped out from taking care of both his girls...hugs to all.