---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Dawn Drake <drakefam5@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 9:22 AM
Subject: Monday
To: drakefam51.chloe@blogger.com
Cc: drakedad3@gmail.com
We are winding down here in Guangzhou. Today was just a day of waiting, see Dennis' post. Once we got the all clear we headed out to finish our shopping. We got to talk to Anna and Nathan. And we also went swimming.
Chloe is getting much more comfortable with us and that means she is also testing us to see what she can get away with. She has figured out how to twist around in her stroller and stand, she has discovered the cords to the computer. you get the idea. We are also learning she is a people person, she loves to wave at people at breakfast, in the elevator, at the stores. She really gets excited when she sees one of the families we are traveling with.
The pictures are from this evening at an impromptu party in the hallway. I was sitting at the door feeding Chloe, Deacon and Rachel, these little "bun" type crackers Dennis found at the store.
Tomorrow will be filled with pictures taken at the red couch, a tradition here at the White Swan. We will dress our new children in traditional Chinese outfits and take their pictures on a red couch in front of the beautiful water falls here in the hotel. Every group that comes through takes that same picture.
Then we will pick up the things we've ordered, work on getting everything to fit in our suitcases, and then late afternoon take care of the last order of business.
We wake up very early Wednesday morning. All three families leave Guangzhou between 9 and 10 all heading in different directions. We fly to Shanghai first, then Chicago and finally HOME!
You can start praying for us now that all three of us do well on the flights home, especially the long one. That we are able to make all our connecting flights with NO STRESS. I am working on lightning our carry ons. We've had 4 flights now, and we each had 2 carry ons/personal items. The last flight we added Chloe and a stroller and it was hard.
I don't think I mentioned our adventure flying from Hangzhou to Guangzhou. So....it was us and the Fannins, so 4 adults and 2 kids in strollers. We arrived at the airport around 6:30 for a 7:55 flight, when we checked in they tried to talk us into checking our strollers but we were adamant that we wanted them until the last minute. We had not eaten dinner, but decided to go ahead and go to security and get something closer to the gate. Once there we discovered that food places were not plentiful. So the moms and babies planted ourselves at the gate and sent the dads to find food. I took Chloe to the bathroom thinking I would change her and take care of my business. BUT there was no changing table and no stalls that would fit me and the stroller, so we changed the babies in the chairs and took turns watching them. At about 7:20 they announce that the bus is there for our flight. Yes you read that right we needed to take a bus to our plane. The dads were not back, and we were not sure if there would be a second bus. So we get up and try to figure out how to accomplish getting all of us in line. Thankfully the dads are coming down the escalator, but they are frustrated because they had had a really hard time finding food. We get in line, and find that we will be the last ones on the bus, we cram in to a standing only bus. And HANG ON!!!!! I was at the door with Chloe and just knew as soon as the doors open I would be trampled, but I was able to quickly get out of the way.
Hopefully we won't have that experience again, but my packing goal is for Dennis to have a backpack and me a purse/diaper bag combined. Hopefully that will hold everything we need and help us not have so much to carry.
From: Dawn Drake <drakefam5@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 9:22 AM
Subject: Monday
To: drakefam51.chloe@blogger.com
Cc: drakedad3@gmail.com
We are winding down here in Guangzhou. Today was just a day of waiting, see Dennis' post. Once we got the all clear we headed out to finish our shopping. We got to talk to Anna and Nathan. And we also went swimming.
Chloe is getting much more comfortable with us and that means she is also testing us to see what she can get away with. She has figured out how to twist around in her stroller and stand, she has discovered the cords to the computer. you get the idea. We are also learning she is a people person, she loves to wave at people at breakfast, in the elevator, at the stores. She really gets excited when she sees one of the families we are traveling with.
The pictures are from this evening at an impromptu party in the hallway. I was sitting at the door feeding Chloe, Deacon and Rachel, these little "bun" type crackers Dennis found at the store.
Tomorrow will be filled with pictures taken at the red couch, a tradition here at the White Swan. We will dress our new children in traditional Chinese outfits and take their pictures on a red couch in front of the beautiful water falls here in the hotel. Every group that comes through takes that same picture.
Then we will pick up the things we've ordered, work on getting everything to fit in our suitcases, and then late afternoon take care of the last order of business.
We wake up very early Wednesday morning. All three families leave Guangzhou between 9 and 10 all heading in different directions. We fly to Shanghai first, then Chicago and finally HOME!
You can start praying for us now that all three of us do well on the flights home, especially the long one. That we are able to make all our connecting flights with NO STRESS. I am working on lightning our carry ons. We've had 4 flights now, and we each had 2 carry ons/personal items. The last flight we added Chloe and a stroller and it was hard.
I don't think I mentioned our adventure flying from Hangzhou to Guangzhou. So....it was us and the Fannins, so 4 adults and 2 kids in strollers. We arrived at the airport around 6:30 for a 7:55 flight, when we checked in they tried to talk us into checking our strollers but we were adamant that we wanted them until the last minute. We had not eaten dinner, but decided to go ahead and go to security and get something closer to the gate. Once there we discovered that food places were not plentiful. So the moms and babies planted ourselves at the gate and sent the dads to find food. I took Chloe to the bathroom thinking I would change her and take care of my business. BUT there was no changing table and no stalls that would fit me and the stroller, so we changed the babies in the chairs and took turns watching them. At about 7:20 they announce that the bus is there for our flight. Yes you read that right we needed to take a bus to our plane. The dads were not back, and we were not sure if there would be a second bus. So we get up and try to figure out how to accomplish getting all of us in line. Thankfully the dads are coming down the escalator, but they are frustrated because they had had a really hard time finding food. We get in line, and find that we will be the last ones on the bus, we cram in to a standing only bus. And HANG ON!!!!! I was at the door with Chloe and just knew as soon as the doors open I would be trampled, but I was able to quickly get out of the way.
Hopefully we won't have that experience again, but my packing goal is for Dennis to have a backpack and me a purse/diaper bag combined. Hopefully that will hold everything we need and help us not have so much to carry.
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