Wow, what a day!

Sorry it's taken me so long to put a new update up! This morning started very early for Christine - around 4:00 a.m., to be exact. We had to be up and ready, all three of us, and checked out of the hotel in Nanning by around 5:45 a.m. to catch a bus to the airport for an 8:10 a.m. flight. It was tough, but we made it! Olivia was great this morning, and she did fine on the one hour plane ride from Nanning to Guangzhou. In fact, Christine gave her a pacifier, and she slept for the majority of the flight. Christine and Olivia had the window seat, I had the middle seat, and a rather tall Chinese man had the aisle seat. He quite enjoyed staring at us and the other people in our group.

We touched down in Nanning and gathered together, heading for the luggage claim. We noticed that the Chinese people on the plane cleared out very quickly! We got our luggage, and the van took us the 45 minutes or so to the island where we'll stay the remainder of our time in Guangzhou and to our medical appointment. Olivia did NOT like going through another medical appointment, but we did get her sore spot on her forehead looked at by a different doctor. They lanced the sore on Olivia's forehead, which took most of the infection out. They gave us another round of prescriptions for antibiotics, and a different salve for us to use on her forehead. The doctor here told us that the salve we've been using is no good (great), and to use this one and the antibiotics twice a day. We have to take Olivia back to see the doctor on Monday.

The White Swan hotel is absolutely amazing and beautiful; those of you waiting to adopt are going to LOVE it! We went to a small cafe outside the restaurant called "Lucy's" where most of us got chicken fingers and french fries. Here comes all that weight we lost in Nanning!

After a well deserved nap for all of us, the three of us and one other family and Pat went shopping to Sweet Barbie's, where Christine loaded up on outfits and shoes for Olivia. We got a bag full of clothes and five pairs of shoes for about $120. Then, on the way to dinner, we spotted a new store, where we got some more (even cheaper) shoes for Olivia and a nice silk jacket for daddy. I can't wait to wear it at Chinese New Years!

If anybody was taking bets on which one of us would get sick sooner, those of you who bet Christine are winners. Poor Christine felt awful at dinner; we think she's dehydrated or sick. She drank about five bottles of water at dinner, and has been sick off and on tonight. She took some medicine, so please pray that she will be all well tomorrow.

Olivia has taken to copying daddy when he makes funny noises, and she really likes it when daddy gives her raspberries on her cheek. She's gaining weight, and I think the more her medicine takes effect, the happier and more outgoing she is. She's everything we've been praying for and more!

Tomorrow after breakfast, we'll dress Olivia up in one of her new Chinese outfits and take her right outside the hotel to Ben's art studio, where they'll do a really nice painting of her for us. Then, we'll go to church late morning, lunch, and a Thanksgiving church service and possibly the zoo. The zoo may have to wait until tomorrow though, because there is a small typhoon here right now, and it's quite rainy.

I tried to upload some pictures of Olivia, and some of her friend Addison Claire. I also put a picture of a squat pot, i.e., a toilet. Yes, this is the toilet that ladies have to use all throughout China. In some of the nicer restaurants and hotels, they have regular toilets, but this is basically it. The toilets in your hotel room are normal toilets as well Guys, we're okay, the urinals are the same over here as they are back home. Sorry ladies.

Christine is doctoring my head right now, because as I was helping the driver load our luggage onto the bus, I stepped right up and banged my head on the top of the door. The entry doors to the small bus we have is a bit lower than what I'm accustomed to, and I have a good sized knot that bled for a little while.

I'll be updating you again tomorrow. Remember, anybody who would like to come see Olivia and Addison Claire, the more the merrier!

Michael, Christine and Olivia Mei Grace