Our Last Day In Guangzhou

Hi All,
It's about 10:15pm on New Year's Eve here in China and we are putting the final touches on our suitcase packing, getting ready to leave bright and early tomorrow morning. The last two days have been sort of a blur as we completed the final government requirements and also did a little bit of shopping and a lot of eating. Although we have had a wonderful time here, we are very ready to be home where we can blend back into our surroundings and begin our new lives as a slightly different family. The excitement of coming home brings with it a certain level of anxiety as we once again disrupt Kylie's "normal". We were talking about it today as she has become quite accustomed to riding the elevator up to and down from her "home", to eating out at a restaurant for every meal, to having an unlimited menu for breakfast, lunch & dinner, to having Kelsey, Kennan & Daddy around 24/7.... the list of abnormal things could go on. So, we are prepared for her reaction to the change in her little world once again; but, we are still nervous about the long trip home and just how she'll do with all of that. Please keep all of us in your prayers as we begin our journey home at 6am tomorrow morning -- it will be a long 27 hours.

Each day has brought us closer together. There's no doubt that she is growing more comfortable with all of us. We have discovered lots of good tickle spots, found out that she loves to play peek-a-boo, learned that she is a collector of stuff, that she can mimic pretty well when she's in the mood, that she doesn't play with dolls (at least not yet), and that she absolutely, positively loves to eat!

This will be our last post until we get home. Thank you for your prayers and your encouragement through the rough spots. It has been an amazing experience for all of us. We have been blessed beyond description. We can't wait to see everyone and introduce you to Miss Kylie Grace.

Love to all,

Hank, Cheryl, Kelsey, Kennan & Kylie