Nanning: Day One

It is so fun to be back in Nanning! Eleven years ago I had the pleasure of traveling to China with my friends who were adopting their fourth child. I played nanny for their family and was able to visit a few orphanages and witness their adoption. It was an impactful trip, which might go without saying as here I am with my family on our own adoption journey. Now I find myself back in Nanning with Tamsin, the oldest daughter of the friends I traveled with! A few things have changed as she is now 20, instead of 8, and I too am much aged(ha!). 

Justin has spent the day traveling and is about to board his flight from Beijing to Nanning. He will get here around midnight. We missed him on our adventures today but are so grateful that he will make it on time.

We started the day with a taxi ride to Walmart to pick up snacks for Liena as I mentioned yesterday. The Walmart is in the basement of a mall, so we wandered the mall for a bit, easily entertaining ourselves with Starbucks and window shopping. 

In the afternoon we walked in a large park near our hotel. It is as beautiful as I remembered, and it was so fun to see it again through the eyes of my kids!

Speaking of my kids...today we have two, tomorrow we will have three! It hasn't quite sunk in yet. This dream has been so long in the works that I can hardly believe it's finally time to meet our new daughter. I pray for her as she will be leaving everything and everyone she knows. As exciting as this is for us, it is scary for the adopted child. We have been researching and preparing ways to help her feel as safe as possible during this transition. She is already so loved, we hope she can sense that when she is ready.

Next time I write it will be as a mother of three, and Justin and I will officially be outnumbered by our children. We can't wait!

View from the taxi.

So many floors and stores in this mall. We barely scratched the surface.

We really aren't fans of Walmart, but it's fun comparing this one to what we know.

Can't get fish like this in the US Walmarts.

Their decor is better too.

Wish I knew what all this is.

On to the park!

Tamsin can't let the kids have all the fun !

I really wanted to join their tug of war!