Last Day in Lanzhou

I would like to report that we are going  to miss Lanzhou....but truthfully, we are ready for the last and final city in our adoption trip (Guanghzou).  Lanzhou is just dreary.  It is so polluted that even when the sun shines, you can't see it through the thick haze above you.  We know we are surrounded by mountains, but you hardly ever get to see them either.  This morning, though, we spent the morning at a Chinese museum, which was actually very interesting and nice.  We were told it was in the "top 10" of Chinese museums in the country.  It consisted of 3 floors, the first was all about Chinese history in regards to the Silk Road.   The Gansu province is famous for this as it passes through the majority of the province.  The second floor was all about their porcelain and pottery, but due to time constraints we skipped that floor.  The last floor was all about dinosaurs.  After the museum we went to lunch at a restaurant that is known for making "stretchy" noodles.    We were back at the room around 2PM for some naps.  After naps, we decided to have a birthday party for Alex and Cora (the daughter of the other family that we are traveling with).  We both missed their first birthdays...and thought that celebrating it here, in China, would be fun and someday we could tell them all about it.  So, we ventured out to a bakery that we found.  We found a sweet bread shaped like a turtle and used that as their cake.  I had brought a few toys from home for Alex...and by mistake there was a number one from a different toy set that somehow made the trip....which was perfect because we used that as their candle.   We sang Happy Birthday to them and Alex loved the "cake."  

 

 

This morning Doug and I were talking about all the ways God has answered prayers for us on this trip.  He got us here safely, he has kept us healthy and he has kept Sam safe and healthy with his grandparents.  He provided a smooth transition for us with Alex on Gotcha Day, Alex has bonded so quickly with us (and us with him).  Our paperwork all went smoothly, he has provided us with a great family to travel with that we have become very good friends with, he has provided great guides who accommodate all our requests and make us feel safe and comfortable in this chaotic country.  He has given us peace about Sam being at home.  Thanks for all the prayers on this as we both have commented in the last 24 hours that we are now feeling more at peace about this and are enjoying our trip and time with Alex instead of the guilt/sadness we were experiencing the first several days of the journey.  Thinking through all these praises reminds us of God's faithfulness.  It helps us to let go of our thoughts/worries of the future unknowns (the very long flight home and Alex's surgeries when we get there).  We are reminded that God is in control and is always faithful!

 

Alex is continuing to make us glow with joy.   He giggles and gives us so many smiles now.  He is starting to become a little pickier with his foods.  He is no longer interested in the steamed eggs and rice that he has probably eaten every day of his life for the past year (who can blame him)....but now prefers anything we are eating (especially tangelos...or any fruit).   He did great at the museum today and took his first ride in a stroller.   Tomorrow we leave the hotel at 1:30 and head to the airport.  We have a 4:30 flight to Guanghzou (about a 4 hour flight).  This will be good practice for the 14 hours flight home.  Alex has a cold and a bad cough (he had that when we got him on Monday) so we are a little worried about the flight and his ears.  Pray that it all goes well.