Day 14: Group picture and Xiao Yu's 2nd B-day!

We had a fairly low key day again.  At breakfast, there is a side room that they've created for all the adoptive families.  It comes with a play area that the kids really like.  This hotel has somehow cornered the market on the adoptive families with amenities such as these.

Later that morning, it was picture time.  Each family took turns taking pictures on these steps in the hotel lobby.  The girls put on their silk dresses.

Here is the Yuen family!

The girls have become very attached to one little adopted girl in our group.  Karina especially loves holding this little girl's hands.  Karina has mentioned that she wishes we had adopted a little girl instead of a little boy...

Here is a group picture.  Although we were all strangers when we arrived in China a little over 2 weeks ago, we have all become very close to each other because of this shared experience.  We've traded baby advice, in a pinch given each other diapers when one forgets to bring some along, and looked out for each others' kids when hanging out in a group.  Some families are starting to travel home starting tomorrow...we will miss them!

Here is also the requisite "babies in a row" picture.  Here we are setting them up.  We put Xiao Yu in the left side on the end because we know he might bite.

And here are all the ten kids!  The guides said that it was amazing that none of the kids were crying!

Here is a close up of Xiao Yu.

Later on in the day, we were back in the hotel lobby and Gabriel & Karina decided to reenact the group picture.  They got on the steps again to pose and asked Daddy to take a picture.  Cute couple, huh?

Later on in the day, we went shopping in an area called Shamian (pronounced "shee-ah mee-en") Island.  We bought some stuff in shops.  Emily's bargaining skills came into play as you have to usually cut most of the quoted prices in half.

Gabriel was getting very antsy in these stores with breakables, so Elvin and Gabriel and Karina headed into the local 7-Eleven where they were allowed to pick out one snack or candy.  We have probably shopped more often at 7-Eleven on this trip that in the past ten years combined in the U.S.

The island had bronze statues that the kids liked to pose in front of.

There was a playground that the kids had fun at while some of the adults did more shopping.

At night the buildings were lit up nicely.

This is a picture for Gabriel.  He is obsessed with all the taxis and buses here.  He will often tell Elvin, "I found another taxi, a blue one!"  And then repeat this...every 10-15 seconds, for taxis and buses.

When we are in the hotel room, he will often stand at the window and watch the buses and taxis below.

When we got back to the hotel room, there was a birthday cake waiting for Xiao Yu!  The guides told the hotel that it was his birthday today and they delivered a cake.

It was a mango mousse cake with fresh fruit on top.  Xiao Yu loved it, and would have eaten the whole thing, had we let him.  The other three kids tried it and said they didn't like it.  Eliana said it tasted like it might be pineapple.  She probably has never had mango flavor before!  They also gave us two candles so we didn't have to use the ones we brought from the States for just such an occasion.

Xiao Yu pretty much had no idea what was going on but he enjoyed it nevertheless.  The song ended and...he did not blow out his candles.  He just stood there smiling.  So we let the other kids do the honors.  We feel lucky that we got to celebrate this 2nd birthday with him!  Happy birthday, Christopher Xiao-Yu Yuen!