When There Is Room in Your Heart, There Is Always Room in Your Home!: January 2015

Hi Everyone,

Today is Tuesday, 1/27/15, and it was our last full day in Guangzhou:(

We had to get up really early today because our American Consulate Appointment was at 8:30 and we could not be late! (I told the girls that it was God's way of helping us get back in our school routine of getting up every day at 6:30!!!)

Everyone from America has to finalize their immigration paperwork at this appointment, and get their adopted children’s Visa's for traveling home. YAY!!! It is very important for things to be absolutely perfect at this appointment so that we can leave China and fly home to America with our adopted children:):):)

We had the first appointment of the day and it went very well:)

(Thank You Lord, and Elvin, and all who work at the American Consulate for helping the process to go smoothly and somewhat quickly as all of the children have to be there too... So it could get kind of crazy if a family had to wait a long time!!!)

We took a few pics all dressed in our red, white and blue, (Thanking God for America today..... for our Home of the Free and The Brave!!! ) and we were headed back to the hotel for breakfast about 10:00am:)

A little later we took a cab back to Shamian Island, as we had arranged to meet another sweet adoptive family at Lucy's for lunch:)

Also, there is a particular little store that we like to shop at on Shamian Island and it was closed on Sunday.

The name of the little store is " A Gift From China " and a portion of the proceeds from this little store go straight back into local orphanages so that is why we make a point of shopping there whenever we are here for an Adoption:):):)

Also, we seem to find the sweetest diaper bags, quilts and baby blankets there too, so I was extremely happy to talk Mark into taking us back there for the afternoon:):):):) Yay!!! Thanks Honey:):):)

A little while later, I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful it was to meet up with our new friends (The Lane's) and just sit together with our girls, their sweet cousin Brittany, and our newly adopted sons, Owen (5) and Benjamin (6) and just enjoy a nice lunch, good conversation, and the beauty of God's creation on Shamian Island:):):)

The weather was warm and our two little boys were just talking away 90 miles an hour to one another in Chinese:):):)

It was just So Precious to listen to the two of them just chatting away.... And later running and playing together, along with Abbie and Becca at the playground on Shamian Island:):):)

We are hoping that the two boys can maybe FaceTime when we get home so that they will have someone their age to talk to:):):)

Only problem is.... None of us can understand what they are saying :(:(:(

So, if you know Mandarin, or your kids know Mandarin, please come and talk to Ben and/or Owen, and tell us what in the world they are chatting about!!!!!

I truly think that meeting the Lane's and having the boys spend some time together has brought some comfort to both boys the past few days:):):)

Thank You Lord for our new friends and for allowing us to share this Amazing Adoption experience together:):):)

We just LOVE how you continue to Move Mountains for your Beautiful Little Treasures and how you knit all of our hearts together in " LOVE "

AS WE STEP OUT IN FAITH AND PUT OUR TRUST IN YOU:)❤❤❤

Eventually, it was time to catch a cab back to our hotel, and get ready to meet Elvin in the lobby at six for the Pearl River Cruise :):):)

This is another event here in Guangzhou that we really enjoy getting to go to when we adopt:):):)

The cruise is only an hour long, but is just so fun and so beautiful, and usually the children really enjoy seeing all of the bright lights on the buildings, bridges, and all of the other boats going by on the river....... We love getting to go on this River Cruise, and it is a great way to end our time here in Guangzhou.... Many of the other families usually go on the cruise too, so it is a good way to visit a little, say our goodbye's to one another and prepare ourselves mentally for leaving China and heading Home :):):)

We all had a great time on the cruise, and then headed back to the hotel to begin our packing for Hong Kong tomorrow:):):)

As you can guess.... It was the end to a Long Day so some people were crabby and tired!!!!!

I won't say who.... But, no one was in the mood to pack or even try to figure out how we were going to fit everything we bought into our suitcases!!!!

We did it though and were ready to go on Wednesday at 2:00 pm:):):)

We had to wait around in the lobby for a couple of hours, until Elvin arrived with our packet of paperwork and our driver arrived to take us to Hong Kong:):):)

This time in the lobby allowed us to say goodbye to some families and exchange phone/E-mail information with a few of them :):):)

We said our goodbyes to our wonderful guide Elvin, and headed out for Hong Kong at about 5:00pm:)

Most of us were planning to sleep on the 2 hour ride to our hotel in Hong Kong:)

However, (notice in life how there are always Howevers? :):):)

We had been traveling for about thirty minutes and Abbie, Benjamin, and Becca were in the very back seat of the mini-van:)

Becca says, " Mom, Ben is rubbing his tummy and Looks really White!!! "

Mark turned around and looked at him and said " Honey, do we have any plastic bags???? "

Poor Boy!!!

He was carsick the entire way to Hong Kong!!!

I am telling you this part of our day because we were not prepared for this because the orphanage told us that Ben didn't have motion sickness..... Well, He sure did on Wednesday!!!! :(

Somehow I had grabbed a cloth Walmart bag with a handle and we had a plastic bag with snacks in it.... So, I quickly dumped all of the snacks into the cloth bag and gave Mark the plastic bag for Ben!!!! Not kidding.... About 2 minutes later.... Yuk, Yuk, Yuk!!!!!

But at least it all went into the plastic bag!!!!! This happened again about 20-30 min later!!!!!! :(

We were so packed into the van that we could hardly move.... Abbie and Becca handled it all so well and took such good care of Benjamin!!!!

Thank You Sweet Girls... You have gone above and beyond what big sisters are supposed to do!!!! :)

All Mark and I could do was hand them tissues and wipes and they held the plastic bag in front of him for almost 2 solid hours!!!!

The van was new and had leather seats......

no mess.... Thank You Jesus!!!!

Oh My....if we hadn't had that plastic bag.... It would have been COMPLETELY AWFUL!!!!

Ben was fine when we got to our hotel in Hong Kong and we got him out of the car!!!!

That is a van ride that we will never forget!!!!

The thought ( " stop because the child is sick" never entered our driver's mind....) He just kept on going and got us to our hotel as quickly as possible:):):) He was super nice and needless to say we left him a big tip!!!!

He is probably still airing his car out as we speak!!!! LOL!!!!

After we checked into our Hotel in Hong Kong, we headed out to find a place for dinner. We found an Italian Restaurant close to our hotel and proceeded to order:)

About half way through our dinner the girls are covering their eyes and just giggling and laughing hysterically.... There was a couple sitting in their line of sight who were showing major displays of Public Affection for one another!!!!! I Mean THEY WERE CONNECTED AT THE LIPS IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!!!!

One family asked to be moved because they just wouldn't STOP!!!!

When that family moved I had them in my direct line of sight!!!! Oh Wow!!!! This was Completely Hysterical!!!!

By this time the whole Restaurant was giggling and watching because this couple were totally unaware of anyone else in the restaurant!!!

They were still going strong!!!!

Finally, after shushing my girls hysterical laughter.... The couple's food came and they took a few breaks to eat!!!

But, Seriously, they continued to kiss.... Passionately throughout their entire meal:):):) LOL!!!!

I seriously thought that if we were in America that the crew from America's Funniest Home Video's were going to show up!!!!

Abbie and Becca could not stop laughing and Becca looks at Mark and says.... " Dad, I'm never doing that!!! In Fact, that's so disgusting, I may never get married!!!! "

We all just laughed so hard and left with those two still hanging all over each other:):):) In all my years, I have never seen anything like this couple in a public place!!!! We had to get out quick so the kids didn't see anything more!!!!

And so YES, it was supposed to be a boring travel day.... But wow, we now have some major memories from our travel day to Hong Kong:):):) !!!!

Hong Kong is just Breathtakingly Beautiful at night and our hotel is right on the water.... This is such a great way to end our time here.... We only have one day... (Tomorrow), but hopefully it will be a great day and we will have more good CLEAN Family Fun!!!!

Again, thank you for praying and lifting us up as we press on toward the goal to win the prize that God has promised us in Christ Jesus:):):)

One More Day and we head home!!!! We are missing all of our kids and all of you SO MUCH and yet we are Forever Grateful to GOD for this Adoption Journey and for our new son Benjamin David Ming DiBlasi:):):):)

Please pray for Safe Travels as we prepare for that long flight home, and please pray for Peace for Ben and us.... Not sure how he will do on the long plane ride:(

This time we will try to be prepared if he gets sick.... But please pray that he doesn't:):):)

Thank You everyone.... Sorry that I am so long winded..... God Bless You All and again Goodnight from Hong Kong :)

Love and Big Hugs:)

Patti, Mark, Abbie, Becca and Benjamin:):):)