Hong Kong Day Two

Ok today was another crazy day for me... My body is still on usa time but i am in china... not so good!!! we got up at 6:15 am to get ready to go meet our group and guide in the lobby at 8:30 to have an organized tour of hong kong
i did not get but 3 hours of sleep during the night ugh!!!!
anyway the tour was pretty lame... i mean we got to see some neat stuff but did not get to stay at the places i wanted to stay at very long and stayed at the ones i did not want to stay out a long time!!!
we went to the highest point in china called victoria's peak it is about 1400 meters above sea level we could see the beautiful south china sea from one side and the cities and new territories from the other side we have pics that i will post from all of this at the bottom of the post. Then we went into the mall here to meet to leave but i wanted to stay b/c it was the best shopping mall we have seen and looked so neat it was very western not at all like the others we have seen that looked like flea markets. but no we had to rush off to go to next stop...
then we went to a little fishing village called aberdeen... really neat it is old school china at its best... i even rode in a sampan and did not get motion sick at all yeah for me and group (heehee)
after that they took us to a jewelry market complete set-up i might say they took us in the workshop to show how they create jewelry then into the jewelry store where they jumped on us like piranhas funny funny no one in group bought anything we all CHEAP lol
then we went to the traditional china market... it stunk... i was hot, tired, and ill!!! after that adventure we went back to room to REST and then go out to eat in a different town ha that did not happen.... i laid down to rest and the guys decided to lie down too after a little while and we all fell asleep again this time we woke up about 5 hours later which was too late to go to the other town to eat so we ended up having to order pizza to be delivered to hotel at 11:00 pm for supper let me explain first we went to hotel restaurant to eat but did not like menu or prices so we one by one snuck away from table and ran out the door laughing... second we went around the corner to look at another restaurant only to be ran off by owner for hanging out too long in front of his establishment and then back to room to order online pizza that would not let us and had to send rodney to lobby to pay a deposit to use phone in the room to call and order pizza so finally about 11:40 we were eating supper but it was good!
then of course since i slept all afternon i could not sleep at night again so here goes the cycle again UGH!!!!!!
Ok now for the pics....



This is the peak we were going up to... view from bottom in city...


Jackie Chan's House and I am so not kidding. I was so happy...all i wanted to do was to quote Rush Hour lines like "Lee, Lee get back here... or do you speaka English" heehee all you who really know me know that one of my leading responses when I am agitated is "Don't make me Jackie Chan you!" lol My friend Aaron would be so proud right now so if he or his sweet wife Charla read this he can smile!!!
The people here really like Jackie Chan and think he is a big deal to Hong Kong!!!


China scaffolding... they make from bamboo... so cool...
















Floating Restaurant... will seat over 3000 people for dinner... Whoa!








P.S. lots of you have asked me about the smells... Let me try to explain in my Tammy kinda way...
It smells like a chinese restaurant dumpster; raw sewage; and B.O. (they do not believe in deo evidentally)
Mix all of that together and you get "Gag me with a spoon!"

P.S.S. I got to talk to my BFF Christy on facebook; I am so happy :-)!

****ONLY ONE MORE DAY TILL I SEE MY BABY FACE-TO-FACE!!!I already feel the tears coming.... I am so grateful to our AWESOME God for His plan for me as a moma and for the two beautiful children He has given me!!!

Hong Kong Day One

Dinner Anyone... need I say more!!! UGH!



It's all about me... You know I gotta have my drinks... So good!!!



Water pot in our room that we use to boil all our water we use to brush teeth that is fun (NOT) be happy you have clean water and thank God for providing for us in such an incredible way back home... we are truly a blessed people!!!







Rodney says this is China's favorite transportation system... He especially likes the one that as he says was "BIKE-JACKED" lol





Riverwalk or for me River sit every few feet!!!




Our hotel over looking the river





At shopping mall...



River Bridge


Bailee & his little friends :-) he is going to hurt me lol


These are some sights from our first day. I will say that JETLAG is a royal pain in the behind! We are so tired and having might I say a big adjustment with time!!! We went to the mall but I did not buy one item... between the jacked UP prices, gross smells, the HEAT, and jetlag I did not get a thing. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the COACH store, Skeechers, and Clarks but the prices were crazy. I mean Clarks that I could get at Belk at home for about 40-60 dollars cost 100$ here. OMG I am about to puke b/c my hubby just couldn't let the smells of China stay in China..He is now cooking chinese style ramen noodles in our room and it smells like the streets of China!!! Back to my post... Then when we got back to the room we sat down to rest and all fell asleep for about three hours... When I awoke from my crazy jetlagged dream I asked Rodney why he was looking at my toe! He asked me if I was crazy and I finally woke up enough to say oh yea I guess I am :-) ! See what 23 hours of flying will do for the brain!!!
Then we walked down the city block and bought Pizza Hut for supper. Weird... they sell two kinds of pizza: red sauce or thousand island sauce ugh!!! I said red well I pointed to red since they don't speaka my language!
After we ate and sat around bored. So then we walked down to 7-Eleven to buy me some more Coca Cola Light and got these stinkin' noodles for Rodney. We also got a few pics of the locals and "sights & smells"! Ok enough for now got to try to make ourselves go to sleep even though our bodies and brains think it is morning like it is at home right now. We have a big tour day tomorrow and better be rested up. I know why they say it is sooooo hot here now... the humidity is horrible at about 88%... at home it is normally only in the 60-70% range and believe it or not it does make a difference!
Enjoy the pics! we love ya'll and miss you! We are enjoying the comments and guestbook posts. Keep 'em coming!
All our love,
Tammy

P.S. Kelly and Eva sorry I did not get to call before we left... Can't wait to get our girls together :-)

P.S.S. I hope my mother-in-law is geting to see this from her cousin and neighbor down the road... Thx Alice!!!

Misc Pics....

China Itinerary . . .

8/11 Leave for China

8/12 Hanging in space somewhere.. cause we still can't find it

8/13 Free Day ... Explore, shop, eat, rest, rest, rest

8/14 Another free day... group tour of HK with travel companions

8/15 Leave HK late afternoon for Guangzhou (Sophie's provincial capitol city) This is where we will spend the next two weeks with ur girl!)

8/16 Sophie Day!!! This is GOTTCHA Day...

8/17 Complete adoption notarization and registration paperwork... This is our official day of adoption... From this day forward Sophie will be forever ours!!! Thank you Jesus!

8/18 Adoption registration certificate day and go to passport office for Sophie's chinese passport paperwork to be submitted.

8/19 Free Day

8/20 Sophie's Visa physical and photo

8/21 & 22 Free Days

8/23 Receive notary certificates and passport. Go over paperwork for US Consulate appt

8/24 Free Day

8/25 The ever-so-important Consulate Appt (This is the appt that will let Sophie into our country as a US citizen and no longer a chinese citizen)

8/26 Rodney's Birthday!!! This is the day of the OATH at the US Consulate.

8/27 Go to US Consulate to receive Sophie's Visa Packet and depart from Guangzhou to HK at 10:40 p.m.

8/28 Leave Hong Kong for the US and arrive home with our girl!!!

We Are Here!!!

These pics are at the airport in Hong Kong. The couple you don't know is Shane & Laura from Ohio that will be in our group while we are here... They are alos adopting a baby girl. She is 19 mths old. Pray for them and their baby girl too! we are finally here!!! OMG... that was the longest flight ever! A big shout-out to one of my BFFs (Christy) or shall I say her big sis (Pam) for the FYI on Bonine... This is the first time I have EVER flown and not gotten sick! Praise God! I got a little nausea on the first two small flights but on the long one to Hong Kong I was good! Bailee did not want to take one but I made him and I am so glad I did! He got a little sick about 30 minutes from HK but made it good the rest of the time. Rodney did great! He slept most of the time. Paps did good to but by the time we got to HK he was pretty stiff... His knees were pretty tight. We were so happy to see the Hotel and beds!!! Rodney & I both had only slept about 2 hrs the night before we left and Bailee & Paps about 4 hrs. so we were all prety tired. The plane was not very full so we got to have an extra seat between us on the flight and that helped some. But my tailbone does not want to see a plane seat anytime soon so if I can find a teaching job in China ya'll might have to come see me here (lol) They may have to knock me out to drag me back to a plane to get home.
***Ok... local culture ... They call the elevators LIFTS here and they rush them like the day after Thanksgiving sale at Macy's! So, when we were waiting nicely to get on the lift at the hotel a huge crowd of locals rushed the door and we all crowded in. As we rose to the next floor already packed in, the doors opened and another huge group got on and then all of a sudden we here BEEP BEEP BEEP very LOUDLY! This meant the weight limit had been met. I was thinking some little CHINA man is fixing to get a croc in the butt cause after 23 hrs of flying I am not staying on a stuck elevator!!! A few exited and the buzzer stopped... And I thought hurry up to the 13th floor and let me off of this thing.
***Another funny... I wish someone would let my hubby in on the secret that chinese is not spanish. He keeps saying see to all the chinamen for yes. Bailee and I are laughing out loud every time he talks to them.
***Rodney & Paps want someone stateside to find Aug 12th and send it back to us or our bodies anyway cause we feeling it bad! Somehow we lost that day and my back knows it! lol
Today we are on our own to goof off and relax! Tomorrow (Sat here) we have a 6 hour intense tour of HK. I hope I can keep up b/c I am lagging behind most of the time.
I will post our itinerary for you all in another post to follow. Thank you all for the prayers... They are mighty powerful and working. We are safe, excited, and having a good time. The miracle of me not getting sick for the first time ever is proof enough that your prayers are working! Rodney is THRILLED and still a little shocked! Please remember to pray for Sophie... Our prayer is for her to have peace with the transition to our family, for her to be as healthy as we think she is, and for her to not have trouble attaching or with post traumatic adoption syndrome PTAS. God is good so I know that He can answer these. I mean just look here we are in CHINA the country my baby girl was born into. How awesome is that!!! 3 more days until we get to hold our baby for the first time and our lives will be forever blessed even more!
Blessings,
Tammy in CHINA :-)

P.S. All our suitcases made it without getting lost... even my baby's modeling wardrobe... Yes all 42 thousand outfits and hairbows!!! Look out baby girl your head will never be the same or neck might I say Bet? :-)
P.S.S. We are able to see your comments and guestbook posts. Thank you Nessa, Christy, and Angela...Keep them coming!!!

Sophie's Bathroom . . .

Every girl needs a prissy bathroom in their Princess Palace, right!

Nursery Pictures . . .

Ok, this is how mean I can be :-)
I have waited to put these pics on here so that my BFFs would come see Sophie's room in PERSON and not just look at them on the blog... But most of you have come by so I know you are all tired of waiting on me to post the Princess Palace !

Enjoy... we love it and think it is so awesome! Can you say PINK-a-licious???