Our Top Ten Lists

More pictures later, but some reflections on China in the form of Top Ten Lists.

Top ten surprises about China:
10. Staring. Everywhere we went, we tended to get unabashed stares (especially McKenzie with her long, beautiful golden hair, but for anything like if your child is crying, you are eating strange food, etc.)
9. The amazing industrialization and urbanization of China. The cities are big, bustling, busy, bright, etc. to a degree we did not expect.
8. (akin to #9) Many of the tall buildings had most or all of one face covered with a TV screen (I began to think "every building a billboard")
7. The food was great! Especially in Chongqing where everything was spicy.
6. The friendliness of the people. Although we did get stares from strangers, most of the Chinese we interacted with were extremely friendly and kind.
5. The incredible hotel service. At the White Swan in Guangzhou, every time the elevator door opened, an attendant on the floor announced the floor number and helped direct you to where you needed to go. The housekeeping staff watched for when you left your room in the morning and cleaned it almost immediately. You can't beat that anywhere!
4. Crowds, crowds, crowds.
3. Our kids were superstars. (We learned eventually to keep moving, because the longer we stood still, the more likely we were to attract a crowd of people gawking.)
2. We got to see our old friend Annette Place, who is now living in China as a missionary. (Unfortunately we didn't get to see her husband Chris.)
1. Faith. You know, as much as we read and prepared ourselves, we did not expect her to be so bright, vibrant, cheerful (and yes willful) as she turned out to be. And perhaps the biggest pleasant surprise of all, she did great on the plane rides home and seems to love her new home and her newest brother (Marshall) whom she just met last night!

Top ten things we missed while in China:
10. Drinkable tap water. We had to drink bottled water everywhere, including the most metropolitan areas.
9. Regular plugs. You get tired of using adapters after a while (to charge the camera, cell phone, camcorder, iPod, etc.)
8. Normal traffic laws. I'm not sure what the laws were in China but the driving was always crazy. The most basic rule seemed to be: if you're in front, do whatever you want.
7. My own bed. ('nuff said)
6. My own car.
5. A computer (since I didn't bring one)
4. English-speaking radio (we had a few TV channels, but of course none of our familiar radio stations)
3. My own house! (Hotel living gets old after a couple of days...especially with 4 or 5 people living in one room.)
2. All our friends and family and church.
1. Most of all we missed Marshall! Barbara had tears a few times for missing him.

Finally, the top 10 things we are thankful for about this trip:
10. No lost luggage!
9. No late flights!
8. No missed connections!
7. We made great new friends in our adoption group.
6. Our guides in China were wonderful.
5. Out itinerary was really perfect. Some groups with other agencies get scheduled so heavily with activities that they stay exhausted the whole trip. We had just the right balance of touring and rest.
4. We had the opportunity to see Faith's orphanage and even meet her foster mother (a rare treat for adoptive families)
3. We got to see some of the most important historic sites on Earth, especially the Great Wall of China, Tian An Men Square and the Forbidden City. 3,000 years of history in one nation is really remarkable.
2. No one got sick!
1. Faith, our little China doll.

Overall, we are very blessed. We give thanks to the Lord for taking such good care of us and leading us on such an adventure, and giving us a new daughter for our family to love.