Guangzhou and Our Trip to the ITHC

At the ITHC

Ice cream break

Beautiful view!

Zoe's fan!

Asleep at lunch

Relaxing with Daddy

Meeting our new guide at the hotel

As I write this it's 8pm Saturday here, 6am Saturday back home. We spent Friday packing for Guangzhou, picking up Zac's Chinese passport, and traveling. We also got our photo book of his adoption ceremony. It's really good, and includes a few more pictures of him at the orphanage that we've never seen. Each little piece of his story that falls into place means so much to us. The flight to Guangzhou was not bad, but Zac moved and wiggled all the way there. Our new guide met us at the airport and brought us to our hotel. The hotel is really nice! We have a living room and a bedroom, and they gave us a stroller and a crib for Zac. The view from our window is amazing! There is one other Lifeline family here, plus we're traveling with a family from another agency. But here at the hotel there are probably 10 or more adoptive families. Breakfast was funny! They had all of us seated near each other and away from everyone else. They've probably learned from experience that newly adopted children can be a handful!

Saturday morning we met to take Zac to the International Travel Health Clinic (ITHC). This is where anyone headed out of the country for travel gets checked out before they can leave. It was a zoo! There were so many people there, and nothing moved quickly. But we eventually made our way through the channels, and for the most part Zac was great. A little boy was infatuated with Zoe! We think he was in love! That afternoon we worked on our paperwork for Zac's Visa. This week will basically be a waiting game for his U.S. passport and Visa. At lunch, our guide, Rebecca, was feeding Zac broccoli and snow peas, and he feel asleep in his plate! Poor little guy!  This afternoon Zoe had an ice cream break... mango, coconut and green tea!  Well, she wasn't big on the green tea flavor!

Zac is really coming out of his shell. He is walking, talking and into everything! He is becoming more comfortable and confident. His new nickname around here is "Zac Attack"! But his cuteness gets him out of everything! He is warming up to me (Ken), so we're finally starting to give Mama a break now and then. She can't be far off, but at least now she doesn't ALWAYS have to hold him! Today he slept in my arms while we explored the city. He is such a blessing! He is beautiful… smart… curious… excited by the world around him. His smile will melt your heart, and when his eyes widen with happiness it's a glimpse into everything that is right in this world.

Thanks everyone for your prayers and thoughts! We truly feel it! Thanks to everyone who is working the garage sale in our absence! And thank you to everyone who is helping with the kids!  You can't imagine what you mean to us and to this process!

Zachary: HE remembers! HE remembers us all. We may turn away, we may run. We may think we've never even met Him. But HE remembers us all!