Sunday, August 14 at about 7:30 pm Beijing time

Hi! It's us again. Thanks for all of your posts on our blog - we appreciate reading them! As I mentioned in my earlier e-mail, I can't access them on our blog because we can't access that website, but that doesn't matter because your comments are automatically sent to my (Gord's) e-mail. So keep sending them!

Sue's going to do today's blog (which was a very busy day). I picked out 10 pictures to attach to today's post, but for whatever reason it is taking forever to upload the pictures right now - I'm thinking that it may have something to do with the volume of traffic on the Internet because I don't think we have true high speed internet. So, for now I'll pass on the pictures and hopefully attach them the next time.

Okay, now Sue's taking over:

As Gord mentioned it was a very busy day. After breakfast we met up with our group of families who are adopting from Hunan and left for Tiananmen Square. It was so filled with people that it was overwhelming. We had to stay together with our guide and that was not always an easy task. Again the heat and humidity were almost oppressive. I can't even imagine what Hunan will be like tomorrow--it is predicted to be over 100 degrees. We saw a lot of officials at Tiananmen Square. We say someone climb over a small fense (perhaps to protest) and he was quickly escorted away. It is hard to think that someone knowing full well the consequences of their actions would still take the chance. But again that happens in the states too.

We didn't stay long in the square and then went into the Forbidden City. We walked for about three miles. Next we went to lunch at the Friendship Store. The food was great and the air conditioning a relief. After going through the cloisinar factory we were off to see and climb the Great Wall of China. Gord, Stephanie and Ryan climbed the steep side and made it very far-the third tower! Sarah and I climbed just a part of the east side of the Great Wall. (It's been a long time since I have had that kind of a work out.)

We are all getting sleepy and tomorrow we fly out very early to Changsha, Hunan! The big day is coming upon us very quickly! In the afternoon we will go to the civil affairs office to meet our baby and we will become a family of six. I can't wait to meet Stacie and hold her and let her know how very much I love her. I am ready to burst because of my emotions. I am one lucky mother and feel so blessed that I can have her in my life. The song "Held" by Natalie Grant is such a special song for me and the words reflect a lot of what I am thinking at the moment. Well it is time to try to get some sleep--I am so excited that it might be difficult--I can't help but think of tomorrw night and how my life will be wonderfully changed.