Hi all!! Well today was intersesting!!
It started with having a good nights sleep---we all slept about 6-7 hours--pretty good!! Had the breakfast buffet--then ventured out. The flower market was charming--stalls and stalls of beautiful flowers! We then rounded the corner....and saw the food vendors. Let's just say--we could barely eat the rest of the day. First we stumbled upon the live snakes--which a kindly gentleman was skinning alive for waiting customers...yum. Oh--that was followed by some ducks--bills and all..on a skillet. Then you venture down a bit and there were live ducks and chickens--shoved in coops of some sort-some just on the street--waiting for their untimely death. They seemed to have their legs missing--since none of them were moving much.
We left that area--thinking we were safe--but when passing by a high-rise--the slaughtering continued. Hannah and I glanced over at just the wrong moment--when the ax got the duck. YUCK!!! Right on the sidewalk!
Soooo--we asked the concierge where else we should go. He at first suggested a three day cruise along the Yangtze river--which we almost went on thinking he said three hours! Then he said "Cable Cars--so fun--you go!!" Against Darrin's better judgement (he's afraid of heights!) we went!
It was us and a million (well--maybe not a million--but it seemed like it!) Chinese people shoved in a dirty cable car going across the river and up the mountain. The fog made it hard to see much of anything---but it was an experience nonetheless--and Darrin's face throughout made it quite priceless!!
We decided we had adventured enough after all that--so we went back to the hotel--and the kids had a blast at the swimming pool for hours! We then went to a Benihana-type restaurant for dinner--where the memories of the chopped up ducks and snakes made it hard to eat much of anything. We are just back in our room now--and Darrin is headed down to the Cafe to get pizza and fries. Well- you know how the saying goes...you can take the Americans out of America......
So now we have to try and sleep---while ANXIOUSLY awaiting our big day tommorow!!!! We are so excited---we cannot wait!! We will be meeting our guide in the lobby at 1:30--and meeting him at 2 pm!!! (in the early morning hours for all of you!!)
Please pray for a safe, non-traumatic union for us!! Pray for our sweet boy--as he lies his beautiful head down tonight for the last time at his orphanage, without his mom and dad. Pray for his little heart--that he will find peace, and love with us. And if he has the same reaction as Hope did--that's ok too--we know that with time, he will feel secure.
Good Night (or I guess it's good morning to all of you!!) Think of us as you lay your heads down tonight--and send some good thoughts our way!!
Love--Darrin, Amy, Hannah, & Joseph XOXOXOO
