Going Home Barbie

Since it is Sunday, we did not have any adoption proceedings today.  This morning, our guide took us to the Chen Family Academy to see the ancient building that now houses many folk art exhibits.  We enjoyed seeing the various art forms and strolling through the lovely gardens filled with Bonsai and Magnolia trees.

This afternoon, we walked around Shamian Island.  When we got back to our room, there was a birthday cake for Scott waiting for us -- our guide had arranged for the hotel to bring it to our room.  It was topped with many exotic fruits and trimmed with a delicate layer of Corn Flakes.

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door.  When I opened the door, one of the hotel employees handed me a box with a very special doll in it and said, "This is for you."  It is "Going Home Barbie" -- a blonde Barbie doll holding a little Chinese baby!  Mattel developed it for all of the families that adopt Chinese orphans and stay at the White Swan Hotel.  We will post pictures of it on our blog when we get home.

We invited another adoptive family (John and Paula Plating) to join us for birthday cake this evening.  They already knew that we live in Alabama, and they had lived in Montgomery for a year themselves (he's in the Air Force), so they bought Scott a fake jade elephant as his birthday gift and said, "Roll Tide" when he opened it.  It was a fun taste of home.  We enjoyed spending time with them this evening.  As far as we know, it was Sarah's first cake.  She loved it (and went back for seconds)!