Day 14

We are getting so close to going home!  I cannot wait to hold Laurel, see my friends and family, eat my own food, and sleep in my own bed!   The weather is much better and we walked to Starbucks this morning.  Shamian Island is beautiful and very picturesque.  Early in the morning people are out dancing to music, playing badmiton, doing tai chi and playing cards.  It all feels so relaxed and easy here!  I braved and iced frappucino, so we'll see how that works out!  Sierra, Cadence, and I headed out for some shopping.  All of the stores are named after the owners... Jordon's place, Jenny's place, Amy's place!  Jordon was a very sweet man who told me all about his cousin's cleft lip and how it's fixed now and he can say "hello, Jordon"!  He wrote Cadence's name in Chinese and the meaning of the characters.  Sierra and I got lots of presents for friends and family back home.  We had fun posing for pictures with all of the people statues!   We had our consulate appointment today.  It was anti-climatic (knew it would be) but so exciting that we are a step closer to home!  We took the oath for Cadence that all of our paperwork was correct and that she can become an American citizen.  We get her visa tomorrow then leave for Beijing the next day.  We got a taste of a very impatient toddler who did not want to stay in our laps for the bus ride to the hotel... it will be a long flight home!    Pics include posing with the statues, hacky sack, they keep preschoolers together the same way we do in the states!