LAST FULL DAY IN CHINA

Hi Everyone: Today is our last full day in China. We have been here so long that it doesn't seem real that we will be on a plane headed for the U.S. with a wiggly three year old tomorrow night. Right now, Connie, our Guide, is at the U.S. Consulate on our behalf. We have to stay in our room until she calls and tells us we are okay to leave. This is just in case the Consulate has questions regarding any of our paperwork. Once we can leave, I am thinking of one last trip to the walking mall and then a hike to pick up our laundry. There is nothing better than coming home with clean, folded and packaged clothes from a trip! Abbie has been in a really great mood today! I dressed her in her pretty tulle strawberry dress and took some very sweet pictures of our happy girl. She looks like a little mermaid! We visited with “Jan”, the attendant on the twelfth floor who LOVES Abbie – and Abbie loves her! They are so sweet together. Jan gave Abbie some baby wipes and she first cleaned herself, then helped Jan clean her workstation. I think I will be able to give Abbie some jobs to do when we get home. She is an expert duster! Ha ha! We are still waiting for the Panda pictures. Marry sent me four separate emails with pictures of the elusive Mao; however, when I opened them up, I found very lovely pictures of Marry’s family instead. Oops! I think she meant to send those to someone else. Someone is going to be surprised when they open up 25 pictures of pandas instead! At breakfast, a family was feeding the Koi (Ericka accidentally called them Cod. Ha ha!) in the pond and they were jumping and swimming in a big bunch for the food. They were such a magnificent medley of orange, red, white and black. It was quite a beautiful site! Because it rained so hard yesterday, it cleared the air. When I got up and looked out the window this morning I was VERY surprised to see a mountain range! In total, I have spent one month in Guangzhou at the White Swan and never even knew there were mountains! Reminds me of the February inversion in Utah! Ha ha! Tonight we will go on the Pearl River Delta dinner cruise. I am sure I will have more lovely pictures to share. Have a wonderful day and see you on Wednesday! Love always, Tracie, Ericka and Abbie. (P.S. Connie just called. Everything is okay and we are free to leave our room. Woo hoo!!) (P.S.S. Ericka says "Hey" to Taylor and she misses you!!)