Friday, November 13, 2009

Peking Duck Dinner!

Thursday, November 12th, 2009 - Part II:

Tonight our wonderful guide Sara arranged for a Peking Duck dinner for our travel group. Six of the families were able to attend and it was a really neat experience! We went to a restaurant about a 15 min walk away but after the long, cold, wet feet morning, our family decided to take it easy and hailed a taxi. Never have we been in so many taxis as we have been in the past 2 weeks but they're very reasonable ($7 for a 45 min. ride) and also easy to locate as they're waiting at all the places we visit.

Before dinner I popped the Flip onto the lazy susan in the centre of each table and took a quick video of the great people we've been sharing the past 2 weeks with. It's been an amazing 2 weeks and life changing for all of us and I trust that we will stay in touch with one another as our daughters grow and we foster the friendships that have been born here. We arrived in China as a group of 25 and are going home as a group of 35 who will never, ever be the same due to the babies we have been blessed with as well as the time we have spent together here in China!

Dinner was a number of dishes that I'm told were very good. Heh, my chicken stomach still only tried a few but I did enjoy what I tried especially this hot sweet potato dish with candied sugar and sesame seeds poured on it. Oh my!!! Now that's one dish I'd love the recipe for!

At the end of the dinner the chef rolled the peking duck and carved it behind a glass wall. I tried a bit (we made it into kinda taco things) and it was good but I'm looking forward to getting back to food I'm more familiar with. I remember reading blogs of people who were in China and ate most of their meals at North American style restaurants and wondering why they did that. Guess what....that's totally me!! I'm not an adventurous eater and add to that the fear of getting sick from the food and not being able to properly care for Hannah, I've been pretty boring when it comes to food adventures. Dad and Norma have tried their fair share of new stuff but Mom and I have stuck pretty much to what we know.

Hannah also gave me one more dinner where I could eat...yay! She enjoyed much of it from my lap and then at the end was content to sit in her stroller beside me playing with toys and being entertained by a couple of the other kids that were there.

Sara gave gifts to each of the babies....these adorable, beautifully decorated headbands. Had to be fast but I did capture one pic of Hannah wearing hers. So cute!

Back at the hotel we had a bath and Hannah was ready for bed. Once she was asleep I was going over some paperwork that had just been returned to me and I noticed a small typo in her name. I quickly called Sara and she came down but said it was fine. It was just a space missing in XiaoFen and it would not cause any delays or anything to be issued with an incorrect spelling. Phew!!!

When Sara was in our room I had some videos up on the computer. She had been busy with all the families on Family Day so hadn't seen Hannah's original reactions when we met. She was amazed at how well she had done and that she was looking at me and even smiling. Her response and I agreed 100% is that it was God!! Truly He layed the foundation and many, many people had and were praying for Hannah and He was answering our prayers. Sara has been doing adoption trips for 10 years and she said she had never seen a baby react so well. Yes! Truly God!!

Sara also brought me a couple of things that she had helped us order. First is a jade chop that has an ox on top and when stamped it says, 'HANNAH, Yong, Xiao Fen, 2009 2 27' Cool!!

She also brought me a beautiful scroll that I had ordered and had been painted by hand using Chinese calligraphy. It says, 'The LORD has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes.' Psalm 118: 23; Family Yong Xiao Fen; Love Mommy Cathy' What a treasure this is and it will hold a place of honour in our home.

The LORD has done this and it is marvelous in my eyes!!!!!!


























11 comments:

  1. Hannah does look so happy and adjusted already! She is adorable and your love (all done by God through you!) and care of her, convinced her that you are the best thing that has ever happened to her!
    So glad you are enjoying the journey.
    You are doing a great job documenting your trip, it is so important, you will reread your words over and over to Hannah when she is older.
    Yes, it will be great once you are home!

    Alyzabeth's Mommy for One Year!

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  2. wow... your journey in China is not unlike the journey waiting for her: inspirational. SO glad it's going so well and LOVED seeing her in these videos along with all your travel mates!!

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  3. OK...bawling my eyes out again!! So many answered prayers. Oh my friend, pray that the Lord will always keep not only this experience before you, but the feelings associated with each step of this journey. Both are part of your testimony and the joy in all He has done.

    Oh my...less than 12 hours now and you're home!!!! Can't wait!!!!!!
    Hugs,
    Joy
    PS. I'm warning you now...when I do see you...I'll be the one crying!

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  4. Look at those pictures. I can see a difference in her over the last 12 days. Those eyes are so bright. So happy. It gives me goosebumps just remembering that same transformation during my two trips. Adoption is a wonderful gift. A wonderful way to form a family. All the hurdles are now distant memories. All replaced by new amazing memories. The way she holds your finger, how she looks when she sleeps, how she is calmed by your touch.

    Thank you so much for sharing your journey so openly. It has been a joy to follow.

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  5. Catherine,
    You can see the difference in Hannah. Her eyes are bright and sure do search out your smile. She is one happy little girl! Your posts have been amazing! Thank you for sharing so much of this trip with us. Glad the spelling mistake won't delay anything! Keep happy and have a wonderful trip.

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  6. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing journey with us! Your love for Hannah comes pouring through your blog, it's contagious! I love her too and we've never met!

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  7. What memories you will have from this journey! It's amazing to share it through your blog. Sarah must have been a God send to you through this adjustment period. I bet you are ready to be home - now yours and Hannah's! I really enjoy the little videos. Hannah is so relaxed with you and such a happy little kid. Awesome!

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  8. Sorry I spelled Sara's name incorrectly!

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  9. My travel mantra:
    Never eat anything you can't identify.

    Never eat anything grey.

    Aie!

    Carol in Ottawa

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  10. Thank you for blogging your journey. I have enjoyed it so much. Congratulations on becoming Hannah's Mom. We bought the same stroller when we were in China this summer.

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