The Horton Family Adoption: Shamian Island and River Cruise

On Tuesday most of the families we're with went to the consulate. They're leaving Thursday. Since we're not leaving 'til Friday, we had to wait until Wednesday. Tuesday night we all went on a river cruise. It was more fun than we expected. The views were nice, and the food was ok, but we enjoyed visiting with the other families. Zoe became good friends with a little 5-year-old named Mikaya. They have spent quite a bit of time together these past two days.

Today, Wednesday, we finally went to the U.S. Consulate. They don't allow cameras, so we don't have any photos of this important step. There were about 8 adoptive families there. We all took an oath together, and then waited to turn in our documents one-by-one. Once we turned everything in, they congratulated us and we were done. Tomorrow we will pick up Zac's passport with his visa. When we land in Chicago on Friday, Zac will instantly become a U.S. citizen! We are so excited to be finished! All the waiting, all the paperwork, all the heartache, all the money... it's finally done!

After the consulate, we all went to Shamian Island to sight-see and shop. It's a beautiful area with 100-year-old buildings, cobblestone pedestrian streets, and moss-covered trees. It reminded us of Charleston or Savannah. There was a nice park, and interesting shops and restaurants. We found a playground for Zac. He loved the slide!

We've had a lot of good times these past two weeks, but we are ready to come home. We're ready to introduce Zac to the rest of his family! One thing our family is famous for is nicknames, and Zac has a few! I mentioned before we call him "Zac Attack." But when the locals find out he's from Chongqing, they say "spicy Sichuan!" Chongqing is in the Sichuan area, known for spicy Sichuan (or Szechuan) cooking. So DeAnna and I have taken to calling him "Sichuan." He certainly loves local food! We're going to have to add a few recipes to our menu! And he is such an energetic, fun-loving, happy child. He is going to LOVE Zander and Zuri! We all miss them so much. We are SO ready to have our little family together, like we belong.