We're in Guangzhou!!!

Sorry it's taken so long to blog! Our flight got in at 7:30pm last night. One last dip in the trip before we left Henan... we went to check out of the hotel and were surprised to get a phone bill for over $200.00. Yikes, not exactly in the budget. Our phone card didn't work. It was domestic not international. I didn't bother to check, my bad. Anyway, dear family, we won't be calling unless there's an emergency. We'll only be here a few more days. But we'll keep blogging and checking our email. If you have an emergency just call Hope for Children 770-391-1511 and they can contact our guide who will contact us immediately.
Now, about the plane ride to Guangzhou... There was a play area in the airport that the girls loved! Ellie prayed for Emma to have a great flight. She should have prayed for Keith, poor thing came close to having a panic attack he was so anxious about how she'd do. She did great! It helped that she had a great nap that afternoon. She was a little clostraphobic boarding, but after take off she loved it. People around us... not so much; mainly because the girls got a little giggly and bumped the seats. Emma kept trying to touch the man's hair in front of us. The seats were so close, she actually got a few tugs in before I could grab her little hands. Before we landed the girls had to go potty of coarse, and there was a line. I took them both in to get it over with. Airplane bathrooms are horribly tiny and definately not built for 3, that's all I have to say about that.
We got to Guangzhou and exhaled, phew! We met our guide Jophy. We had her last time and we just love her. She said "Hows it been so far?" and that's when tears came streaming down my face and I began to blubber. Don't know what that was all about, I think I was more tired and saddened by the situation in Henan than I realized. The thing I've learned about a great marriage is that you are like ying and yang, when one feels weak the other defaults to strong and vice versa, you take turns leaning on each other. (Keith had a hard time the first week in China and now it's my turn). I think going to the orphanage was really sad especially hearing the children will probably never receive the gifts we brought. Then before we left, we learned that our guide didn't get paid her half of the thousand dollar interpreter fee we prepaid, the travel agency kept it and she only worked for tips, same for our driver. We also prepaid the travel agency for tours that were arranged for us that we never went on because it was too much for Emma the first week. Anyway on the van ride back, my tears were interupted by "naked baby". I was so absorbed in talking to Jophy that I didn't realize Emma was stripping. (DO NOT READ THE NEXT PART IF YOU HAVE A WEAK STOMACH) Anyway once naked, she started saying NEOW NEOW (potty) and it was urgent. She started to escalate to the point Jophy told the driver to pull over and we jumped out of the van on a major highway and there she blew. Oh my gosh, I won't go into detail, but I think she has giardia. We finally made it to the hotel and told Jophy we were ordering room service and would see her tomorrow.
This morning we had breakfast in the hotel and it was great! We had heard that it wasn't too good, but we liked it. Maybe the buffet wasn't that great, but we just got some fruit and ordered omlets. The coffee was way too strong so we went around the corner to Starbucks. It's been raining pretty heavily all day, but the temperatire is just perfect! I love Guangzhou! I love it, I love it, I love it!!! It's beautiful and quiet and small and there are so many Americans adopting Chinese children here. I can't believe how many older children, children with special needs, and boys are being adopted now. God seems to be stirring the hearts of people to place these precious children in families. We went to get Emma's passport photos and all was well. Then we went to get her physical. I don't remember it being such an ordeal with Ellie, but then she didn't have a special need and wasn't afraid of doctors yet. Emma has been exposed to them and guess what? She totally freaked out. Wait, let me say that again, SHE TOTALLY FREAKED OUT!!!(Jenny, you know who that reminds me of... when Ali was little she had the exact same reaction to doctors). We walked in and the smell of a doctor's office and the white coats sent her into a frenzy. She went balistic to say the least. The girl is tiny but she is strong! It was so crowded, I mean really crowded, and we were in there an hour. Not exagerating, an hour, and she cried all but the last 5-10 minutes. Everything on my body hurt and then, uh oh... no, no no, please no, Noooooo, too late... here come my tears. I was at the end of my rope. Then a man came across the room and said, "poor little thing is scared" then he put his hand on her and prayed. Within 2 minutes she was not crying. Did you get that? The Faucet just stopped, just like that! And she didn't cry the rest of the time, even when they gagged her with the popcycle stick to check her throat. Thankyou God!!!! Never more than we can bear.
We left there and went to the famous Lucy's for lunch and it was so yummy. That's a favorite for Americans. Then we walked over to the White Swan and looked at the giant gold fish and the waterfall and played in the playroom. After that we came back and Emma took a nap, so Ellie and I went on a quick little shopping spree. And I mean quick so Emma wouldn't wake up and we all weren't there. When we got back, Ellie tried on one of her Chinese silk dresses that I baught her and fanned herself with the chinese fan and I took pictures. Keith went and dropped off our laundry and paid for the hotel umbrella he broke when he forced it closed, oops! Tonight we ate at the Cow and Bridge. We heard it was really good, but when we looked at the menu, we thought, yuk. Then we asked some other Americans in there what we should order and they said, chicken fried rice for the kids to share and some kind of spicy beef for Keith and I to share. Oh my gosh, it was so delicious. Tomorrow should be pretty relaxing. Nothing traumatic scheduled, only the park or the zoo if it's not too rainy. Well, you guys are waking up and I'm going to bed. Everyone around me is snoring. Love to you all from China!