Guangzhou Shopping Spree

Hello from Guangzhou,

Praise God for all that He is doing here in China. Not just with us, but with several other families as well. And also with the locals who really love seeing the Chinese girls be adopted and given a good home. They also like to see us in their shopping districts! It's funny, everyone says what a great thing we are doing for the girls, but they don't seem to understand that we are the ones blessed - beyond anything we can describe! Many of the stores donate a portion of their earnings to help the orphanages and foster care families. Praise God for that

What a day we've had today. Lily Grace has really begun to open up tonight. Earlier, she had her first elevator ride without getting upset. Then she bolted out of the elevator and began running up and down the hall laughing and screaming! I was afraid she was going to wake up the whole floor, but I didn't care! Memaw and Granny opened their door to see what the commotion was and she turned and ran some more. We had to chase her down. She is also really fond of Austin taking her out for a "leisurely" stroll. Somehow, I think there's some hallway speeding going on.

After dinner, Austin and I went down to the arcade to play pool while Connie got Lily Grace into bed. After a half hour, we came back to find the room full of giggling and laughter and squealing. Lily was having a ball. She called Connie 'mama' and she said something that sounded like Austin - he and Connie went wild! Then she kissed them both several times. God is awesome, awesome, awesome!!!!


That tickles mommy!

Earlier in the day, our Lifeline coordinators took our entire group shopping at the local mall! Biggest shopping mall I've ever seen. Austin and I made a critical mistake by leaving Connie, Memaw and Granny on the Jewelry floor while we went to check out the DVD store. As much shopping as Austin and I did, Connie and Lily Grace way outdid us! And yes, there was another piece of luggage purchased. Can anyone rent a Uhaul to bring to the airport when we get there? Austin and I got lost just before we were to leave and tried to get help from a policeman. Unfortunately, he couldn't speak English, so we just had to fumble around until we found our way back.


Shopping Mall. Has anyone seen Jerry and Austin?


Somebody Call Dave Ramsey, We've Got an Emergency Here!

We spent the afternoon walking around Shamian Island while Connie and Lily took a nap. We found some really neat local shops and got an oil painting of Lily Grace from the picture in her red dress. I can't wait to see it Tuesday.

Well, that's it for now. We will write some more after we get back from the Panda zoo tomorrow. I hope Austin and Lily Grace like the bears!


The Children Were Nestled, All Snug in Their Beds,
While Visions of Pandas Danced in Their Heads!

Love,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, and Lily Grace