We have had Lia now for 24 hours.  It has been just heavenly!  She is a darling girl and just

fits in so well.  Praise the Lord and thank you for the many prayers.  She slept beautifully

her first night with us.  At our ages that means the world….ha!!  She woke up and didn’t

cry hard, but rather softly moaned.  It’s so, so sweet.  After her morning bottle she was

ready to have a diaper change and get on with the day’s activities.  Well, not really, but

that’s what we did.  Having a diaper changed is not one of her favorite things at the

moment, so we’re working through it.  J

Elvin took us back to the Civil Affairs Office to complete paperwork this morning.  It was

fun seeing many of the same families again, from Monday, with their new babies in their

arms.  Most of the other families doing paperwork with us were from Sweden and the

Netherlands.  A group of them have new babies from Yangchun, which is where Lily is

from, so they’re having fun imaging what their “Yangchun Treasure’ will grow up to be like

after watching her. 

Lily and Lacy have been more precious with their new little sister than we imagined.  Lia

adores them and watches them like a hawk.  Many silly games have been played between

sisters whom has been delightful to watch.  Making a ball fall off the high chair tray,

placing a hand down on top of another and pulling the bottom one away.  Lia just becomes

unglued with laughter at the smallest things that make her big sisters beam from ear to ear.

The weather in Guangzhou is tropical which we’re enjoying after the cold of Beijing.  The

Chinese people have officially started their winter, and dress accordingly in sweaters and

jackets.  So odd to us, but we know for sure we’re odd to them so that makes us even. 

Ha!!!   We’re all struggling with the food here.  Nothing tastes as it should and all the

“smells” of the city make you not that hungry anyway.  Today when we went into our

hotel’s restaurant they asked if we had “reservations”?  The place was completely empty

so we thought that hysterical. So far, boiled eggs are our food of choice since they taste l

ike a boiled egg should.  Ha!!  Lia is eating a few things for us.  Congee is a favorite

(rice soup) and pieces of hard-boiled egg go down pretty well.  Cheerios are a huge hit

and we wished we brought more.  Small pieces of fruit seem to make her smile too. 

he orphanage said she ate everything without any pickiness, so we’ll see. 

As in our previous two trips here, the signs written in English have given us much to giggle

about.  We’ve laughed so hard driving by billboards and storefronts reading their marquees.

It’s such a different world here.  Not only politically, but in every way.

It’s been so fun meeting up with a few of my Internet friends while here.  We’re meeting

one of them for dinner tonight.  Sandra and her family are from Indianapolis are here

adopting a darling little 5-year-old boy.  He’ll make child number 8 for them.  And please

don’t worry; we’re not going to keep up.  Ha!!

Again, we can’t thank you enough for your prayers that Lia becomes ours gracefully. 

God has been working and we are humbled by His abilities, mercy and love. 

Until tomorrow………love and laughter from this side of the world!!

The Brooks Bunch