A visit to the GZ Zoo and a 3 hour van ride to Hong Kong!

 Just inside the gates waiting on our ride to take a quick tour of the GZ Zoo.  That is the rest of our "adoption group" with Meritt and the girls.  We are the first ones to leave GZ...of course we've been here since early fall...at least that is what is feels like.  Although, Meritt and I both agree, GZ has been a welcomed improvement from the interior cities of Hefei and Xian!

ROLL TIDE!!!!!  That's all I'm going to say about that!  (at least on the blog anyway!)

 Please don't feed the animals!

Maggie, Meritt and May Henley strolling through the Zoo.  The girls really had a great time...the weather was awesome and they ran up and down the sidewalks, jumping and giggling...and holding each other's hand as they walked.  Yeah I know...where's the picture.  When I went to snap it...the camera card was full!  They really seem to be getting much more comfortable with letting go of Meritt (good and bad)...good from the sense I think they feel safe that we aren't going anywhere and they can trust that...bad from the sense that we have to watch them much more closely.

I asked Meritt the other night after we (really she) got them to bed..."well, do you have the energy necessary to keep up with them 24x7?"...she said "most of the time"...which I thought, you know, we would have answered that question the exact same way 17 years ago when Marshall was 4...13 years ago when Macey was 4...and 10 years ago when Matt was 4.  It's honest and real...and what it is all about!  I really love that about her...she is a fabulous mom, and Maggie and Mary Henley...just like Marshall, Matt and Macey...will come to realize it (if they haven't already) very soon!

 That's Rebecca (our guide) talking to the girls and Meritt.  She thought they were hilarious because of all the questions they asked...why this and why that...she also thought the amount of english they have picked up in two weeks was amazing.  I told her mine had improved as well over the last few weeks...but she didn't seem as impressed.

 Taking a nourishment break...bananas with a lollipop chaser!  Maggie is a bottomless pit and has a big-time sweet tooth.  Mary Henley is more measured with her intake (slow eater)...that is until you tell her it's time to leave the buffet...then she starts cramming anything and everything she can get her hands on.  Meritt and I think it is a function of the orphanage, and only having a short period of time to eat.  Maggie does the same thing to some extent...but she also has the need to not have anything left on her plate when she leaves the table.  Meritt and I have learned to only give her smaller portions and refill her plate more often, so she doesn't worry about having to clean her plate.

 The panda below was really cool...it was unbelievable how much dexterity she had in stripping and eating those bamboo shoots.

 The bears were really funning...we watched them for quite some time.  Even though you weren't supposed to "feed the animals"...most all of the Chinese people would throw them various food items.  The bears would scan the crowd to see who was ready to launch them a piece of food and would then sit back and catch it in their mouths.  Not sure who has who trained in this set-up!?!

 Meritt decided she needed at least one more picture of me and the girls, so she decided to take one of me splitting a banana for the girls.  Very exciting...no blog comments necessary on this one.

Well, we are in Hong Kong tonight at the Marriott Sky City just two minutes from the airport.  It is 10:55pm Wednesday evening and the girls are trying to get to sleep.  Our flight leaves at 10:45am in the morning and we land in ATL at 5:48pm EST after a 3 hours layover in Detroit.  It will be a tough day for the girls...and probably for Mama and Baba too!  BUT it is way worth the pain!

Meritt and I really want to thank you all for joining us on this journey...I know that I speak for her when I tell you truly...we would not have made it without you...your prayers...your comments...your emails...your texts...your support of our family back home.  It has been incredibly difficult to be away from Marshall, Macey and Matt...despite the great care they are getting!  We are incredibly blessed to have you all in our lives!

It has been a wild ride...exciting, frightening, enlightening, challenging, rewarding, frustrating, fun and sometimes not-so-fun.  But then there were a lot of times just like now...when it is quiet...and we get the chance to reflect on the big picture.......and fact that He has put it all into motion for His greater glory...and our richer joy!

See you all very soon!