In the beginning......Part 2

Welcome to the second part of our journey to Jennie, and the pictures of China!  We're still in Guangdong province at this point. 



The landscape along the Pearl River in Guangzhou, China.
It is the third largest river in China



It was not overcast this day......it's SMOG!



Many supplies are delivered by the local people on bicycles and by foot with carts......
I can't image doing this in the heat & humidity!!



Jennie and her new friend Asia, hanging out.  We were sightseeing with Asia's family, Maureen, Andy & big sister Kylie, and had to stop for some cool refreshments!




Cool little statues like this were spotted around the city



One of the highlights of our stay in Guangdong (other than getting Jennie, obviously!), was going to a Buddhist temple
and the children being blessed by a monk.  This is the temple were the blessing took place.......the gold Buddhas were huge!  You can get an idea of how big they were.....look at the monk in the lower right corner of the picture.

Guangzhou Folk Art Museum

As bad as this picture is, I have to laugh about it now!  I think I'll label it, "Jet lagged new parent to a toddler"!!



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           



Jennie wearing her backpack we had sent her months earlier.....we couldn't go anywhere without the backpack.





Here we are in the Guangdong airport, getting ready to fly back to Beijing.  We are posing with our guide, Bob, who helped us a lot while in province.  The bus driver jumped into the picture at the last minute......that's him waving!


The next batch of pictures were taken when we were back in Beijing for the remainder of our trip.

Jennie & her new forever friend Maelyn

The Great Wall of China......where we started our climb



The view from the Great Wall....



      
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          


 



Joad and Jennie climbing the stairs on the Great Wall.....they were very steep!

 


 Adoptive families place a lock on the chain, that is on the Great Wall, commemorating their forever family day!




Our lock that we placed on the chain




Dinner out with Jan, Paul & Maelyn......we found a restaurant that was similar to Pizza Hut.....it was GOOD!



The "famous" spaghetti picture of mommy & Jennie.....I was trying to get her to look into my eyes, to promote bonding, and Paul snapped the pic of us.....many of you that have already seen this picture say it's one of your favourites!   :0) 



The group shot of our travel group, in Tiananmen Square

                                     


Posing in front of the entrance to The Forbidden City, and picture of Chairman Mao.......it was extremely hot this day



We had to walk through several gates, that were quite a distance between each other, before we actually got to the Forbidden City, but, we finally made it!



I love this picture of Jennie......she really started to smile and laugh at this point......I knew the bonding of our family had started!



The gardens of The Forbidden City



Laughing in the bath!



Here is Jennie and I posing in front of the giant pearl, at the famous Pearl Market in Beijing.......a huge flea market

                                  



Arriving at Beijing airport, to make our journey home...it was a wonderful feeling!  I had dreamed about this day for a long time, and now it was here.....I got choked up a few times on the way home. 



Jennie in her child restraint on the plane....notice her puffy eyes??  She cried screamed for close to a hour before falling asleep.......she was not impressed with being strapped in!  I pitied the other passengers for that hour.



Proud papa, relieved to be on our way home!

                                               


Arriving at Pearson International, July 1, 2010.......a very emotional homecoming!  Jennie was really unsure about all the new faces and people, and clung to me.  I think she thought she was going to be passed off again. 


Well, that's it for our journey to China, becoming a family, and journey home.  Continue to follow our blog as it captures Jennie's world in pictures!