Sunday and Monday in Changchun - 8/19 & 8/20

Our Official Adoption Certificate - dated 8/17/07

Sunday was spent talking with friends and family on Skype in the early morning hours, worship in our room, late lunch/dinner at Pizza Hut about 3:00 p.m., bowling in the afternoon, and to bed at a decent time - 9:00 p.m. I felt like we all had a good night's rest finally after about one week of jet lag!

Today is Lawrence's 39th birthday. We spent the morning talking to friends and family on Skype. We walked about 30-40 minutes and found a park to play in for a while. The boys played basketball with some Chinese boys and Joshua got to ride in a little remote control car. We came home and ate noodles in the room for lunch. We played some games in the room this afternoon and went out to eat at KFC tonight.

We have been working on potty training the last couple of days. He is doing better today than he was yesterday. He has only wet two pair of underwear today. He gets really busy playing and doesn't want to take the time to go to the bathroom.

He is beginning to branch out a little. He is starting to come to all of us more, but he is still greatly attached to his baba (daddy). He is learning some new things. He can point to his nose, mouth and eyes. He can count (with help) to five. He can say William's name really well. He tries to say sissy and Chase. He understands much more than he can express. He seems to be detaching a little from the peanut butter jar he has been carrying everywhere. He is so funny when he tries to say peanut butter. He adds about 6 extra syllables to butter! He cracks us all up! He loves being the center of attention. I think he has been spoiled long before we got him. He must have been a favorite in the orphanage. He is extremely chubby and loves to eat any kind of food you give him (except for skittles).

Sight of the day: As we were walking to dinner tonight we saw at least 5 beggars. The first was an elderly woman holding her hand out to Lawrence and asking for money over and over again. As we continued to walk we noticed someone hollering out something. It was an elderly man banging his head on the concrete sidewalk and screaming out some word over and over agian. Laying beside him was an elderly woman (I guess she was ill or about to die) and he was begging for money. It was a horrible sight. As I walk the streets of this city it is so sad to see the absolute destitution of some and the extreme affluence of others.

Yesterday when we were in Wal Mart it was incredibly busy. You all just think our Wal-Mart is busy!! Ha! You have to be rude it seems just to be able to get into the store!! Chase was entirely too polite and was about 30 people behind us on the escalator. As we were walking through Wal-Mart (of course everyone was staring as usual), but one man in particular stopped us and was asking us all kinds of questions in Chinese. He would ask someting and point to Joshua over and over. He apparently wanted to know what we were doing with him. Every day I get more and more uncomfortable with all of the staring and questions about what we are doing with this Chinese little boy! It makes me afraid someone will call the police or something!! Most of these people have never seen an American in the entire lives and especially have never seen one with 3 children and a Chinese little boy! One lady kept asking me how many children I had and she would say 3 and I would say, "no, 4." She asked me at least 3 times! I am sure that most of them don't understand what is occuring with us adopting Joshua.

We met an English teacher at the park today. His name is David. He teaches at the Middle School and his wife works here at the hotel we are staying at. He told us he was embarressed that someone in his country would abandon their baby. He was very nice and he spoke very good English.

Here are today's photos: Joshua riding a remote control car at the park today.

Lawrence talking with David (the English teacher) at the Park.

Chase and William playing basketball with Chinese boys at the Park

Joshua chowing down on noodles.