Another fine day.

Yesterday our guide finished up some more things with a notary while we made our way to the e-market around the corner (thankfully our hotel here is very centrally located and we can walk many places). It was like the Chinese version of Best Buy.

As most of you know-Belle was in her element looking at camera lenses and all the new gadgets out. Baby Belle still continues to take in all the new sights and smells she has never seen before. She really likes facing outward in the Baby Bjorn on daddy or facing forward in the sling on me. Belle has been a very welcomed extra pair of hands as she is so sweet with babies and we are carrying cameras, strollers, and diapers bags around too.

We try to bring Baby Belle back to the hotel around noon for her nap and we usually will order room service from the Japanese restaurant downstairs (we will not want any fried rice or noodles for awhile when we return). Our guide took us to Gansu's famous museum yesterday afternoon where we saw the origins of the silk road, pottery, great wall, dinosaur bones, and many other very interesting pieces of history. There was a local "antique shop" next door where I found one or two treasures to pass along to her one day from the dynasty days. Our guide Jessica and our driver took us to a local place for Chinese food. She usually tries to get us a small private room because the smoking is so bad everywhere. Then we went to the Yellow River at night
and saw the "lit up" RiverPark. A wonderful very big dragon that is huge along the river and one of their famous landmarks here in Lanzhou. We were all very sleepy last night!

Today we woke to do some more touring. Baby Belle is still a little joy to carry around. Please pray that she will continue to attach to us and for our safety. We almost got hit yesterday by a crazy driver... and as you know, no car seats here!

We have Wednesday and Thursday here and then we all depart Friday morning. Belle will return to the states and we will go to Guangzhou for the week. We will reunite with 4 other America World families and have our consulate appointment and wait for her passport.

We are thankful for all of your prayers once again. We miss our kids back home but we have heard they are doing very well with grandparents! It has been such fun to Skype with them!

Carissa

Oh, and here's a wonderful picture Belle took the other day of Daddy and daughter :)