Fun at the Park

Hi all loved ones! We are counting down our last few days in Beijing and are ready to go! We have loved being here but 2 weeks has been a long time with limited activities for a 4 year old. We feel so blessed to have seen the incredible sites here. We leave on Saturday to fly to Guangzhou which is where the American Consulate is located. The climate there is similar to Miami and we're looking forward to the warmer temperatures. There are also playgrounds and a pool to keep our little ones occupied so this sounds very good to us. We are running out of fun ideas for the hotel room.

This is our cutiepie at a beautiful local public park. It was so neat to see the community activities such as Tai Chi groups and a group that was singing and dancing. There was a small amusement park for the kids but with their excitement you would have thought we were at Disney World. This was the first time Jodi and her little buddy had ever been on a ride. We especially loved the picture with gun toting Jodi and her Baba. They especially loved the huge inflatable castle and showed no fear in climbing and jumping. We have really enjoyed getting to know the other family who have adopted Jodi's buddy from the orphanage. They have been so kind to our little one. They are from Mobile so we look forward to a reunion with them and are discussing an arranged marriage! :)

We realized we haven't said much about Jodi's physical health and wanted to update you on our observations. We do see several surgeries ahead as she has a little extra thumb on her right hand and a strange growth at the top of her back. She also has a bulge about mid back and her right ear is smaller than the left. To our delight none of this seems to negatively affect her function but we are very curious to find out what is going on with her. We continue to thank you for all of your prayers and support!

Now for a few responses to questions.... Peter, she measures 11 inches from shoulder to bottom! Janna, thank you so much for your offer! She could definitely use lightweight pants, capris, or skirts for warm weather. She wears a 4T in bottoms and a 5 in tops. One more thing, Mom and I had a manicure yesterday and were stunned to find it cost us 5 dollars each including tip! They did a great job and were so nice. Love and hugs to you all!!