Hannah Li

July 28th

Michael has been journaling the past couple of days, so I'll simply transcribe his version of how things have gone. God is with us and we thank you for all of your prayers!

"Woke up and ate a nice breakfast downstairs. We tested our collective self control against the foribidden fruit and won (though Brian let the entire complex know that he wanted WATERMELON, in case they were curious and spoke English).

We met Liu, our guide, at 0830 and a 2-minute drive brought us to the civil affairs building. Hannah meets us upstairs and there's lots of activity--hugging and ooh-ing and aah-ing, then money-transferring (it's nice to have that $3000 cash installment out of our hands) and paperwork.

Hannah is probably wiped out; she rode the overnight train from Wenzhou. She's very snuggly and clings onto the new parents, but is a little shy with C, F, and B. The boys don't mind too much, but Faith wants to hold her NOW. But Hannah isn't having any of that yet. (side note--next day she's perfectly happy to hang out with Faith and Christian)

We love Hannah already and she's cute, cute, cute!

Travel a few minutes to the photo studio and make a picture w/N, M, and H--and get needed drinks for the entire almost-passing-out-from-dehydration family. Then a trip with Liu to Trustmart, a great grocery store where we buy LOTS of water. Our hydration problems are OVER! Diapers, formula, snacks, etc.

Return to the room for a snack lunch. It's become our custom here in China to gorge ourselves on the "included with the price of the hotel" b-fast (C drank a hotel record seven yogurts, and made a tower of the cartons on the table afterwards), then make due w/snack we've brought from the US until dinner.

Nap for a couple of hours--and peace! Liu said we're expecting a typhoon, but we brave the weather to stroll to the Pizza Hut again. H seems to love the walk as much as she loves being held and sung to. Our request for two large veggie pizzas elicits astonishment from our waitress, but we end up finishing both. H sits in M's lap the whole meal, and sips aobut half a bottle of formula. She also grabs for some pizza morsels and chews them, but most end back on the bib in the end. But there's success: she's eating with us!

N wants to walk again, and there's greater assent this time. We end up finding a very nice fitness park, and C&F (and B, somewhat) have great fun on the contraptions. the place is packed, and all the kids attract all kinds of good attention (all except C, he tells me as I'm typing this).

When we get home, all kids run through the bathtub--H's first bath with us is great, and she doesn't mind a bit. I wouldn't say that about the teethbrushing, however! Prayers, Bible, bed, etc.

We're writing this after b-fast on the 29th...we'll drive 5 hours tomorrow to her orpahage in Wenzhou, then make the return the next day. Hoping the kids do well!

...and we just saw that we're welcoming Lori and Christopher's new son into the family--glad to have you, Grayson Paul!

Love, NMCFB&H