Counting down to home....

Hi Everyone! Just a quick post tonight - we are both exhausted! Emma is cranky, hungry and tired.....Oh, no, wait - that is Rodney and me that are cranky, hungry, and tired!!!!!

We are ready to come home. The food hasn't been very good (at least to us). We are not very adventurous, and most things available here are spicy or served with a head!! YUCK!

Most of the restaurants on Shamian Island have the menus outside. We always stop and look, but never find anything appealing! I read about a restaurant on the other side of the island that was an old train car, so aching foot and all, we walked to it today. We looked at the menu and kept walking back to our hotel and ordered Papa Johns. Not as good as back home, but it will do.

I really didn't think I would have this much trouble with food. The three days in Beijing, every meal had things that I would eat, but we haven't found that here.

OK, enough about us. We know you come her for Emma Lee!

She is doing great! She is learning so many new things every day, it is just amazing. She is getting really good at pulling herself up to standing. Rodney can't wait for her to walk, I say let her crawl as long as possible. I am not pushing the walking! We see a lot of laughs and smiles (along with some crying, but that is normal). Everywhere we go, everyone always says, "Happy baby!" and she really is. It is so much fun to play with her and make her laugh! Sometimes she giggles so hard she almost loses her breath.

We went to Six Banyan Temple today and participated in a traditional Buddhist blessing of the children. It was a very peaceful and simple ceremony, and we felt it was important to recognize the religion Emma would have grown up in had she stayed in China. There was a tall pagoda in the center, and Rodney was the adventurous one and climbed it. I stayed on the ground with Emma. Too many stairs for me!

The afternoon was spent walking around the island and doing a little more shopping. I will be sad to leave - there are soooo many things I would love to buy, but we have to get everything into our suitcases. I know Rodney will be glad for the shopping to end!