Day 7 – Thursday, November 24, 2005 – Changchun, Jilin – HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

Today is a much needed lazy day. We finally all wake up and go down to breakfast by 9:30am. It is much less crowded in the breakfast area at this time - all the businessmen have come and gone by now. Our girls are definitely the youngest guests at this beautiful hotel. Everyone has been very accommodating and kind to us. Especially bell hop and all around helpful buy, Benny Sui! I hope to get his photo and post it on another day.

Nap time is the next event on the agenda for Lilla, while Li Juan must go out to have another passport photo made. Thankfully it's not that the clothing wasn't the right color, but rather that her eyes were showing red in each photo. I stay back in the room with Emma and Lilla so I can catch up on posting for Gotcha Day and also wash the girls laundry in the tub. We have decided to make due without sending laundry out - so we've got to get scrubbing! Ben and Juan Juan head out with Jenny to get the new photo. Juan falls asleep in the taxi on the way back to the hotel and then sleeps another 2+ hours in the room.

A quick trip to Wal-Mart ensues after girls awaken. We need more bottled water, juice boxes, milk boxes and other sundries (diapers, children's melanamine bowls and spoons). .It is an interesting place to visit in China. We check out all the seafood for purchase live - frogs, turtles, crabs, etc. (yesterday a guy tried to sell us frogs on the street!). After we check out we scurry back to the hotel to stow our possessions and head to the Thanksgiving buffet in the hotel lobby café. Jenny is joining us for her first American Thanksgiving Dinner!

Well, there are a few remnants of Thanksgiving dinner to be found at the buffet, but some are a bit in disguise. Tom turkey is easy to spot. Poor Tom and friends. Some mashed sweet and white potatoes are found after having been piped out into a metal warming tray. The cranberry sauce is warm and not quite typical looking. Pumpkin is found cooked in small wedges with butter and cinnamon and also in the form of a tart. There is a greenbean? Casserole - more like peas in the pod with some sautéed onions on top. Oh - and an apple tart as well. Many other items grace this buffet - sweet and sour pork, fresh meats galor that are grilled to your liking, salad bar, many meat dishes, ice cream sundae bar and last (but certainly not least!) is the lovely spread of petit fours for dessert. We explain as much about Thanksgiving to Jenny as we can. The girls are not thrilled to be eating Thanksgiving buffet dinner. It is not relaxing - but it is good! In the end Ben takes the little girls out to the lobby to walk around while we big girls finish our dinner. I sneak a big bowl of chocolate ice cream out for Ben. He has not been able to enjoy a relaxing meal - but this makes up for it! J

Juan is doing well. We are juggling two little girls in our arms at all times! Also juggling their schedules and needs. I dress them alike today and they are so cute! We are drawing more attention with 2 Chinese girls. It is funny when people assume they both are Mandarin speaking and begin to address Lilla in Mandarin. Juan enjoyed walking around Wal-Mart and exploring. She loves the freedom. Now we just need to get to Guangzhou to find her some shoes that are comfy and the right size for her. Then I think she'll be running everywhere!

Off to bed we go. I sleep for a bit and then wake up to pack for the trip to Yanji, Yanbian. Back to bed for 4 hours of sleep before we must get up and quickly get ready so we can go to breakfast before leaving for Yanbian.

This is a very special Thanksgiving Day for our family. Li Juan is with us! We are safe and healthy. We have a new friend, our Holt guide, Jenny. We are getting to go to our daughter's orphanage and finding spot tomorrow! We live in a free country where we can continue to worship God without reservation. We are traveling in China for 2 weeks and enjoying the travel portion of our trip. We are blessed with wonderful family and friends who love us.

Happy Thanksgiving from China! Lisa, Ben, Emma, Lilla and Juan Juan ><>