All we have left to do is wait

This morning, bright and early, was our consulate appointment where we officially applied for R.'s and Y.'s US visas so they can enter the US and become citizens. After all the paperwork we have filled out and sent in, it is more of a formality than anything, but you still need to make sure all the t's are crossed and the i's are dotted. Ours were and after J. had his fingerprints scanned yet one more time, the official behind the window said, "Congratulations! You can pick up your visas tomorrow." Actually our guides will be picking them up, so other than meeting with them to collect the documents, we're done. After over a year of working to bring these girls home, I can hardly believe we have reached this point.

Just for fun, I bought the girls matching dresses for the occasion.

You'll notice that suddenly the shoes are a big hit.

When we arrived back at the hotel, it was time to do group photographs. There was a lot of waiting around for everyone to gather, and so Y. grabbed the camera.

First we did individual families.

And then photos of the entire group.

Finally, one of the children who had been newly adopted.

With the realization that we were leaving in less than 48 hours, came the sudden panic of needing to pick up some gifts. The afternoon was spent shopping. One of the places we like to visit is the pearl market. Other than it is just cool, we give our daughters a strand of pearls on a major birthday, and well, we have two new girls and I needed supplies.

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This place is truly amazing. It is stall after stall of pearls (or amber or jade or various other precious stones.) Do you see all of those bags on the shelves? They are filled with pearls of varying sizes and colors. You pick the strand you want and then while you wait, the staff turns it into a necklace (or bracelet or earrings.) The pearls are hand knotted onto cord and then you choose which findings (fastenings) you want and then they are attached. I find them all so beautiful and fascinating, it is good I come here with J. to keep me sane and so I do not spend buckets of money on a suitcase full of pearls.

Our shopping is done. Our paperwork is done. And we are definitely done with living in hotels. P. is really, really done with eating in restaurants. Tomorrow is our last day. The weather is really not cooperating, so our plan of going to either the safari park or the zoo is out. Neither would be fun in fifty degree drizzle. I think we'll have a leisurely morning and then try out a museum of ancient Chinese history which is down the street from us. (It's inside!) Oh, and we need to figure out how everything is going to fit back in the suitcases. The situation is even more dire than it was leaving Zhengzhou.