"A Day of Rest"

If you are looking for George's adventure, he has his own post below this one. Check it out!

Today we were completely abandoned by our guide here in Hohhot and she told us that today would just be a day of rest. Try telling a six year old that just got out of an orphanage that you are going to have a day of rest. She wouldn't have anything to do with that. She got dressed this morning and I put her skinny little self in a pair of Old Navy size 5 jeans, and I had to sinch them all the way tight. She can still pull them down to go potty without having to undo the snap. She is so tiny. She also wore an orange and blue top, and I am proud to say that she looks magnificent in my alma mater's colors!

Instead of resting, we went with a local guy here to the true Chinese market. Oh my, it was so big and there was stuff everywhere (fake stuff that is.) It was really neat to see that part of this area. We ended up buying Hope a stroller because her legs are to weak to make it long distances, and she is very awkward to carry. We also got her some socks (the one thing I didn't pack), she was so excited to get them! We also got her some movies, and they really work. We got her the famous Chinese cartoon about a goat and a wolf, and we got her some Mickey Mouse movies which are her favorites.

The picture above actually breaks my heart. We came in from dinner and the entire sky was lighting up with fireworks. In fact they have been going off for the last three hours, and we expect them to last for three to four hours more. I'm not talking little fireworks, I'm talking big fireworks, and 50 or so in the sky at one time. It is the Mid Autumn Festival here, so people are celebrating. Once she saw what was happening, she hid behind a cabinet near our door. Her little heart was beating so fast. I sat down with her, then Paul sat with her in his lap. She mustered up her famous peace sign, but she for the first time was not smiling. We ended up taking her to the lobby where someone could translate for us. We asked them to tell her that they were just fireworks, and that they would not hurt her. The sweet lady down there explained everything to her, then Hope asked the lady if she could tell everyone to stop making them go off. The lady tried to further tell her that they were special fireworks for the Holiday and that they are fun. Hope was then ready to be brave and go see them. That didn't go so well, she ended up hiding in our bathroom, so I let her go ahead and get in the bath.

She loves the bath! Hope got out of the bath, got ready for bed, and asked to sleep with us. She is asleep now snuggled up next to her daddy for protection, but her little heart is still beating so fast.

Our little hope is a charmer! She has this hotel staff wrapped around her fingers! They said they don't see many older children get adopted, and they are all so excited for her. The staff continues to tell me that Hope is one of the most beautiful children they have ever seen and that she is extremely outgoing. Around lunch time, we got a call from one of the ladies downstairs, and she asked if she could come up. She brought a bag of toys for Hope and three specialty moon cakes that are made here at the hotel. It really made Hope feel special! They also brought us a box of moon cakes to take to the kids back home. This should make LeeLee happy!

Please continue to pray for all of us here in Hohhot. Pray for sweet Hope, that she gets good rest tonight without fearing the noises from outside. Pray for the wonderful people we have encountered on our trip. Pray for my mom and my kids back home.