May 5, 2016 - U.S. Consulate day pics and overview

Waiting for our guide to get the Visa paperwork from the medical checks earlier this week.

This is the U.S. Consulate building.  They issue 2000 U.S. Visas/business day for Chinese who wish to visit or work in the U.S.

Adoption families have their very own line!!!!

The U.S. Consulate does not allow pictures inside; therefore, you get before and after!

There were 11 adoption families in total that took the citizenship oath for 12 children.  The oldest child was 11 and the youngest 13 months!  I've gotten to meet several families on this trip that I met on Facebook prior to this trip!

This is a picture of a tree but believe it depicts a map, maybe of Guangzhou?

Esther all decked out in her red, white, and blue!

Future U.S. Citizens!!!!

This morning we were up bright and early, well it was supposed to be bright and early but my alarm didn't go off so it ended up being 40 minutes before we were supposed to be down in the lobby to leave @ 7:30am.  Can you say Eeeek!

Thankfully, everyone cooperated and I even got a shower it!  We made it downstairs right on time!  Well, maybe just a few minutes late but I thought that was doing pretty good for the circumstances!  The rest of our group was on the bus waiting on us - ooops.  We made it to the U.S. Consulate with plenty of time to spare.

After swearing in for our kiddos' U.S. citizenship and answering a few questions, we were done!  Once we land on U.S. soil Esther and Xavier will officially be U.S. Citizens! Woohoooo!!!  And, we will be home!!!!

May 4, 2016 - Guangzhou City Zoo & Cantonese Restaurant

This morning we ventured out into the extremely humid Guangzhou climate to visit the City Zoo.  The zoo is only about 20 minutes from the hotel.  This is a first for me, the past two times we have gone to Safari Park, which is nice but it is an hour drive and costs twice as much , it would not have been as enjoyable today in the heat - it takes 4 hours to get through that park, it took only about 2 for the city zoo.  For these two littles, that was plenty.

Here are some of the animals we saw:  

Yes, these boys can be animals sometimes!

Gottal love babies!

Hippo!

Lots of pelicans

Lions and tigers, and well no bears today - oh my!

A Chinese family next to us shared some of their rice bread.  They liked feeding the fish and swans!

Bamboo canopy!

Pandas!!!!  The whole reason for coming.  Unfortunately,  as you can see from the way this one is sitting, it was hot for them too; therefore, they did not do much.

And yes, we traveled half way around the world to see pigs at a China zoo!!!

But ya gotta love piglets!

He really wanted baby's cracker.

Elephants or cool too!

Chinese Zodiac central!

This is mine!

Don't ask me what the monkey is holding - I wasn't for sure.

We and four other families went out to dinner at a local Cantonese restaurant.  Our guide ordered food for us.  These could have been on the menu.

This is the aftermath.  I meant to get befores but they bring each dish out one at a time so that was impossible.  There was a Portuguese Pork, Curry Chicken & potatoes, an eggplant & green been spicy stir fry, fried rice, fried noodles, and a Cheesy Portuguese beef dish.  They were all pretty good.  The meats just tend to be a little fattier than I prefer.   

I had to get this picture before I forgot because I have a very similar one of Angel in this elevator from over 7 years ago!

Tomorrow is a very early but important morning!!! At 7:30am we will head to the U.S. Consulate for their citizenship swearing.  Their Visa applications will be submitted and we will receive their passports with visas on Friday.  As soon as we get them on Friday, at about 4:30pm, we will leave in a van for Hong Kong!  Saturday, when they land in Chicago, they will be official U.S. citizens!!!!