emma lael watching ni hao kai lan...the first time she's watched t.v. (we think) she sat for about 5 minutes then she was ready to play with her toys...she repeated everything kai lan would say

we ate at a irish pub last night for dinner..owned by a man from ireland...very good fish & chips...kinda tired of chinese food...she would imitate what kent was doing so when he'd drink she would drink...if he put one hand down she would do the same...she would laugh and laugh...her personality is so cute.

river boat ride on the pearl river..was interesting...the water is filled with trash...the boat ride was smooth...food very chinese didn't eat anything...emma lael loved the boat ride and she loved the magic show clown

all the boats & buildings on the river were lite up with lights

grammie on the top floor of the boat...enjoying the sites

sisler gals on the pearl river

shopping on the island..jordan's is a store owned by jordan (in orange shirt) who is a christian man...very nice store.

jordan of jordan's store

the island reminds me of new orleans..very similar architecture ...the foliage reminds me of savannah, ga...guangzhou is tropical and humid (reminds me of home in the summer) for those of you who traveled to guangzhou during the summer months...i honestly don't know how you endured the heat it is hot now i can't image the summer months.

the island has many statues such as this...none of them were of chinese people they appeared to me to be all foreigners.

dinner anyone

emma eating her favorite entree NOODLES

all smiles with a full belly

eels anyone? you can pick whatever you want to eat out of several tanks and they will cook it for you...YUCK

red crabs

red couch

white swan hotel has the famous red couch that adoptive families like to get a photo of their child on...her is our attempt at doing just that...

upside down on the red couch pose

the slouch red couch pose

the my leg is itching red couch pose

shoes

shoes..shoes...shoes...let me explain...leather shoes are so cheap her i couldn't resist...a few are squeaky shoes (i just heard about these a couple months ago) i did buy sizes larger.

fun...fun...shoes

all the shoes came from EMMA'S STORE...the lady was so surprised to learn emma lael's name...she thought she was so cute!

emma lael looking for FISH..word of the day

new friends...her nickname in the orphanage was "little mouse" can you see the resemblance? she's a cute little mouse :)

same old friends

universal sign for "i've got to go pee pee"

nattie' boo boo

emma lael and grammie checking out nattie's boo boo...we bought these goofy socks yesterday so nattie could put on her flip flops and walk...it is much better today...thank God she didn't get an infection in it...here is the funny thing i'm a r.n. and she'd rather grammie or kent put a dressing on her toe...what is that all about...teenagers UGH ;( ..grammie & nattie are out now getting a manicure & pedicure (nattie isn't getting a pedicure)...kent was picked up to go visit a mill he does business with he's been looking forward to seeing the chinese mill... i'm updating the blog while emma lael is taking her nap...we leave guangzhou in 3 days...we take a limo to hong kong (2.5 hour drive)..spend the night...fly back seoul korea (5 hour flight) than our long flight 13.5 hours to atlanta arrive home oct. 1...i miss garrett very much and our dogs...i have a great neighbor who has been caring for our dogs and house sitting...garrett he is fine he's in college doing the college thing...i think he does miss us a little bit ;)...when we skype garrett emma lael will run to the computer to talk with him...she really likes garrett...he is always doing something silly that gets her attention...i have a feeling she's going to fall in love with him right away...we went pearl & jade shopping today...so many shops it is overwhelming to me...i'm not a shopper so i was ready to go after 1 hour...tomorrow we go shopping again at a different place...the days get long sometimes so the outings are nice to get out for awhile.

emma lael warmed up to grammie a few days ago she now LOVES her...they play and have so much fun together...my mom keeps asking me when we are bringing her to AZ for a visit...it is really neat to see my mom fall for emma lael...she's a great grandmalaying in mama & bah bah's bed...she sleeps in a crib next to our bed...she sleeps a sound 10-11 hours at night...never wakes up...she takes 2 hour naps every day...i can now say "night night" and i put my folded hands near my face and she knows it is time for bed...she gave everyone a kiss last night and said "night night" and put her hands near her face...she is mimicking our english and behavior more and more everyday...we are teaching her a new word everyday...we use it several times...yesterday was nattie she knows calls natalie "jie jie nattie"...today it is bus..she repeats the words quickly we are hoping she is putting the meaning with the words as well.

cutie pie...it is really neat to watch my mom...she keeps saying over and over again these are the most beautiful children...in are group they all look very different but are all so very pretty...range from 15 months to 9 years old...we say emma lael is an old soul...her vocabulary is above a 3 year old...she has no developmental delays...she's gained 1# already maybe she'll hit 25# before to long...i'd like that so all her clothes at home would fit her...12 months fits her best now...she is eating other items besides noodles now...she will watch what i am eating and she'll ask for it...this is good news at first she wouldn't even open her mouth to try something besides noodles...she likes fruit & meat...she doesn't like anything cold i gave her a spoon full of ice cream yesterday she immediately spit it out i guess it was to cold.

she loves this ball...this is her 2nd favorite toy...this is what she plays with at night after her bath,..she will throw it and laugh laugh & laugh it is so cute...she cracks herself up...she is very happy...her patience still amazes me but when she is tired she will whine and cry until she falls asleep if we are out...
we all love her so very much...hard to believe that her birth parents are missing out on such a joyous little girl...i've shown her pictures of ruby, sisco, holly & frostie almost everyday so she will be familiar with them when we get home...she is used to dogs new day has a dog and emma lael loved him...he was a very sweet beagle...i have a feeling emma lael & ruby will be good buddies.

little missy chillin out while daddy pushes her around the botanical garden

not happy

really not happy

daddies little helper...look at how tiny she is compared to kent...i tell you she is the definition of petite

2 holland dolls "american style"

lily "rock star" and friend...an amazing women who works very hard helping orphans find forever families.

emma lael and kent in the hotel lobby

at the botanical garden...beautiful place and very HUMID today ugh...i think the theme of the garden is love...cupid's...hearts...the word love...wedding bands with faces...kinda strange....i wasn't feeling any love with sweat dripping down my back, legs, forehead...all i wanted was A/C baby A/C... when we were leaving we saw a bride sitting on the side in her wedding gown...poor bride i know she was wishing the weather was cooler for her big day.
guangzhou has been wonderful...very much a western city...pizza hut, mcdonald's...subway...amy told me today it was a sin to eat subway while in china...we've all enjoyed the food...guangzhou is a much busier town than hohhot...we aren't as strange looking to these people...this areas get's all the adoptive families so foreigners aren't something they stop and stare at...no more paparazzi wanting our pictures...emma lael continues to do great...she learns something new each day...she can now catch and throw a ball...she learns a new word everyday...she is beginning to understand what we are saying a bit more...we in turn aren't as good at interpreting what she is saying...i don't think she will have any trouble learning english when we get home...she loves to skype with garrett it is funny she will sit for a couple minutes with alan & amy but she talks non-stop to garrett...i think she is going to love her big brother garrett...she started yesterday to say nattie...she still calls her jie jie when she hears us say "nattie" she will repeat it...not sure if she get's it that nattie is jie jie yet...tomorrow we return to the medical clinic for the children to have their TB tests checked...emma laels looks great no worries for her being exposed to TB...thank you Jesus ;)...then will go shopping at the pearl & jade market i am looking forward to that...we are going to have pearl necklaces made for nattie & emma lael for when they get married one day...pearls being a classic piece of jewerly hopefully they will wear them on their wedding days...if not no big deal...we've purchased northface jackets can you say CHEAP OMG i felt like i was stealing them...waiting for emma lael to wake up from her nap so we can walk around guangzhou...rebecca our guide tells us that we need to try peanut ice cream she says it is really yummy...will let you know how it taste

Medical Exam

medical exam day....emma lael was one of the lucky ones she only had to have 2 shots and a TB test...lily explained to her what was going to happen...she did cry then fell asleep shortly after her shots...me the germ freak felt like i was in a pool of germs in that clinic YUCK...not a godo place for someone like me...the families we were with are super nice people all the children are so beautiful...God has blessed us with a very good group... due to the holiday the clinic was full of natives having medical exams done...the kids medical exams took much longer than normal...all 9 children were very patience....in my option did GREAT...lily & rebecca were so kind they had starbucks deliver us sandwiches and coffee because we weren't able to go get lunch...the exam wasn't very detailed a ding on a piano was the hearing test if your child turned their head towards the piano they passed....emma lael has gained 1 pound since we've had her YEAH she is now 21 #...she eats more than any kid i've ever been with in my life...all the parents had the same comment "i can't believe how much she/he eats"...it is rainy today and not as humid.

local men

in the parks you see many groups of men playing cards in the middle of the day....mostly older men are gathered together to play...they have hands full of money so i am to assume they beat while playing cards.

kent, natalie & emma lael being hangin in the park with the men

fun at the park

emma lael has figured out it is FUN to ride on daddy's shoulders...this little bit isn't afraid of anything

pushing her stroller is one of her favorite things to do

$1.00 store beach ball is a huge hit..emma lael loves it.

running...running...running...running....with a BIG CHEESE BALL SMILE