Monday was a Zoo

Our travel group headed by air-conditioned bus over to the zoo this morning.  We loved it.  We could've stayed all day.  Actually, if we had been in Atlanta, we probably would've stayed all day, but GZ is hotter than Atlanta in August and a couple hours is about all some of the children can handle.

We began our zoo trip with a tour of the park by tram.  The zoo here is so beautiful.  We enjoyed the ride through on the tram and afterward spent an hour or so walking through the exhibits.  I say walking but it really more like sprinting.  Riley was obsessed with making sure we saw every animal on his map, and Wyatt was either sitting in the stroller or running.  It wasn't exactly a leisurely stroll through the park. You can tell in this picture below that Riley was rearing to go!

There was a baby pool area where many children splashed around completely naked trying to catch minnows.  No safety swim diapers or plastic pants here.  We skipped the splash pool.  Fortunately Wyatt was running too fast to notice the splashing.  He loves some splashing!!

The photo op spots were a big hit with my kids.  They love to pose for the camera and most always have to try something that looks dangerous or against the rules.

I love this picture of my friend Melissa and her daughter Lily Hope.  Some of us have made great progress in teaching the important basics to our new littles ones (MELISSA) while others (MYSELF) gain puzzled gazes from our little ones with any request.  

It seemed like the time went by way too fast.  I definitely think we could've stayed an hour or two more.  

Where was Wyatt?  Who took this picture?

On the way back to the hotel we heard about an issue at the consulate.  It seemed at the time that they were having computer trouble, but we found out later in the day that the issues at the consulate were much more serious.  We had barely gotten back to our room when Miko called an emergency meeting on the 23rd floor for everyone in our travel group.  She shared some news that was a bit upsetting.  Visa appointments for Tuesday and Wednesday have  been cancelled due to a facilities emergency at the consulate here in Guangzhou.  There are families in our group that are going to have to change their travel arrangements.  This could potentially be very expensive, and some family members are going to need to travel on back home ahead of others. Our appointment is scheduled for Thursday morning at 8:30.  We are hopeful that the consulate will reopen before then, but we are not sure how this situation will effect our applications or the applications of the other families waiting here in GZ. 

We have friends that were at the consulate during the facilities emergency, and they shared their experience with us and how they were required to stay on lockdown for several hours.  We are thankful that all of the families that were waiting for visa interviews and the employees at the consulate were not injured today  Please be praying for the adoptive families that were at the consulate today.  It was very scary and there is much confusion about how this situation will impact the visa application process.  Please pray that God will be glorified in this situation and that peace and comfort will fill the hearts and minds of the families here. 

After an intense afternoon, we opted for Chinese takeout from Billking and ate dinner in our room.  By the way, Billking is pretty good.  (Nobody tell me anything bad about it.  I'm trying to be adventurous in my eating here.) I had the pork and pineapple, and Dean had the beef and rice.  It's close to the hotel and easy to find.  They had trouble understanding that we wanted take out and did not want to dine in, but we eventually pantomimed effectively and left with nicely packaged plastic boxes of delicious dinner fare. 

It's barely 8:00 here and our kids have been snoozing for awhile.  I'm going to sleep tonight praising God for the visible fingerprints he has placed on this journey and trusting that there is a reason for all that is going on right now at the consulate.  Prayers are so very appreciated!! 

Shop till you drop - only takes a couple hours in steamy GZ

I don't typically have much patience for shopping, but I put forth my best effort today and went with our travel group to a shopping district, the name of which I cannot pronounce. I didn't see any other Westerners at this shopping center.  Our guides said that it is a Chinese shopping center and not really a tourist site.   I have never seen so many jewelry stores in one place before!  Floors and floors of people selling pearls, jade and look-alikes.  I don't think I could pick out a real piece of jade from plastic, so I was thankful that Rebecca and Miko were along for the ride.

Too many choices overwhelm me and I just end up walking from shop to shop with glazed eyes unable to score any fabulous finds. Dean gets overwhelmed, too.  He spent the entire time walking the kids around and around the fountain in the center of the shopping center, feeding them to keep them happy.  

As soon as I felt my eyes glazing over so I beelined to the jade counter where Miko was standing and blurted out my budget.  Within two minutes I was headed back to Dean and the kids with two tiny pieces of jade tucked away in my backpack.  Can somebody please point me to the plastic?  Sheesh, that green stuff is expensive! 

After 10 minutes in a silk dress shop and another 5 in a silk embroidery shop, I was ready to hit the road.  We spent most of our time walking circles around the fountain and perspiring.  If you're traveling soon to China and you're not sure you want to do the group shopping trips, I would encourage you to go, even if shopping just isn't your thing.  It's fun to do stuff together and the people watching is unrivaled.  Just be prepared to be watched yourself.  I have found that people are not hesitant to approach with three or four companions and point and talk about us.  I've tried not to be offended.  It's hard sometimes.  Since I can't understand what they're saying, I just give them the benefit of the doubt and consider that they've never seen an American with a Chinese baby before.

Our shopping adventure came to a close at 1:30.  I am SO THANKFUL for air-conditioned buses!!  Back at the hotel, we fell fast asleep - the whole lot of us - and completely skipped lunch.  Some days you just need a long nap!  

Everyone woke in good moods so we headed out to Pizza Hut for dinner.  If I never see another pizza or McDouble it will be fine with me!  We've been pretty adventurous with the food here, but there is one among us - TATE - that routinely requests Pizza Hut and McDonalds.  He's not so adventurous.  Our babies LOVE pizza, by the way.  It's sure-fire way to bring out the smiles!

TRAVEL TIP FOR THOSE COMING TO CHINA SOON:  The Pizza Hut in Guangzhou must not be used to large families.  Every time we ask for a large pizza they look at us like we've got three heads or something.  It takes a long time for a large pizza to come out of the kitchen.  It probably makes more sense to order a few mediums instead of waiting on a large.  

This trip has been amazing, and China is a great place to visit, but we are missing our kiddos back home something fierce. 11 days down.  6 days to go!!

It's WAY more fun with friends

If taking two kids for doctor's visits is fun, it's even more fun when 40 new friends take their kids along, too!  Rebecca and Miko met us all in the lobby at 9:30 this morning to give us the low down on the physicals required for our children's entry visas.  We then loaded up in a comfy bus for the short drive over to the medical center.

Our sweet guides keep us in the know and really make every task so much easier to handle.  They prepared us for each step of the morning during the drive over and then ushered us into the building and up to the second floor.  Each child had their visa photos taken first.  In addition to the Lifeline families in our group, we recognized many other adoptive families we've seen in various cities around China.  Pretty cool, if you ask me.  While we waited, we swapped stories and admired the beautiful faces of the cherished sons and daughters of the people we've met here in China. 

After the visa photos were taken, Rebecca and Miko handed out the necessary forms and we went to work filling them out.  They were close by and ready to collect the forms (and help those that needed a repeat of the directions - ME) once they were completed.  After each family had submitted their paperwork, we moved as a group back to the examination area. 

There were families from many agencies represented, and it was exciting to recognize people we've met in Zhengzhou, on our walks in Guangzhou, at the Garden and in Facebook and Yahoo group.  The atmosphere was electric.  There were babies crying, and it was hot.  I can't imagine what it would've been like without the air-conditioning in that building! 

Each child needed to visit four different examination areas.  Our guides helped us to divide and line up so we weren't all waiting for the same examination area. 

We began with our two at the general examination room.  There were three families in front of us, so our wait was not terrible.  I chatted with a sweet WACAP mama traveling alone with her new treasure and with an American couple that lives here in China.  It was very interesting to hear about the adoption process for Americans living in China.  Riley was less than thrilled with the whole situation, as you can see. 

When it was our turn, I took Jubilee into the exam room.  She was a little lady, just looking around observing all the happenings - until it was time to lay down on the table, that is.  She does not like me to put her down.  The exam was quick and the doctor had no concerns.  Yippee!!  Next, it was Wyatt's turn to be examined, and he was immediately unhappy.  I'm guessing he's done this before.  He did settle down and let me answer the doctor's questions, but became upset again when it was time to lay down on the table.  I wrestled him into place and was thankful that the exam was so quick.

After the general exam, we waited in line for the ENT.  Jubilee cried the entire time.  Again, thankful it was short.  The ENT wasn't really paying attention when I sat down with Wyatt, and she grabbed her ear-checker-thingy. (I know what this is called on a normal day, but it's gone, I tell ya.)  She looked puzzled for a second and then shrugged her shoulder, smiled at me and put her little tool back down.  I guess if you don't have auricles, there's not much to look at with an ear-checker-thingy. 

The nurse's station was the most entertaining part.  How many adults does it take to take's Wyatt's temperature?  At least 3!!  He's a wiggler!! Both babies screamed through their weight and height checks but calmed right back down as soon as they were over.

Wyatt is over 2 years old, so we had to wait in the longest line - the blood draw.  I was grateful to Dean for standing there because I was pooped!  NOTE:  If your child has to have blood drawn, the nurses will take him from you when it's his turn.  You can't go in the room, and even though there's a little window that you can peer through, they will pull a curtain across if they see you peeking.

Wyatt was finished crying by the time Dean walked across the waiting area to me.  Whew!  That was something else!  As the last families finished up their examinations and blood work, there was a collective sigh in the room.  We were a much quieter group leaving than we were coming, that's for sure.  Hot, sweaty and tired, we headed back to the bus.

We noticed this wine machine on the way out the door.  More than one parent commented that it would've been better placed on the floor above than on the way out the door.  Funny!

Nap time was amazing today.  I think we might have skipped lunch.  I can't remember eating.  Both babies were in much improved moods this afternoon and Jubilee played for a long time on the floor by herself, which is a miracle since she usually screams hysterically when you even act like you might put her down. 

We ate dinner at The Paddy Field, an Irish Restaurant a few minutes walk from the hotel.  We loved it!  We had wings and hamburgers and felt like we weren't in China for a few minutes.  We are loving China but feeling pretty homesick today, so the fall-away feel of the Paddy Field was just the ticket!  The babies gave us lots of smiles while we were eating….food seems to be their love language (I've probably said this before.  It's becoming sort of an affirmation statement, a reminder when the going gets rough.)

Feeling especially blessed tonight on the eve of Mother's Day!

Friday in Guangzhou

Much of the day today was free time.  We had our first lazy morning and it was just what we needed!  We made it to breakfast before it closed and then walked around the gardens a bit more. before heading back to the room for a nap.  A day that begins at 9:00 and includes a nap by 11:00 is a good day!  Not having to get somewhere first thing in the morning was easier on our two littlest ones. Riley was also easier to manage.  I think he's much happier today.  He's walking around singing again and playing the air guitar, signs that he's in good spirits.   Every few minutes I hear, "Bless the Lord, oh my soul, oh my soul, worship His holy name…." and I'm thankful! 

We picked up a few things for lunch at the delicatessen in the hotel and then met Rebecca and the Johnsons in the lobby at 3:00 to go to the police department to apply for Jubilee's passport.  We were only gone about an hour.  Rebecca handles everything and tells you when to sit, when to stand and where to sign.  So thankful to have the details taken care of!  Riley did well and the babies were quiet throughout the outing.  We returned to the hotel room about 4:30 to plan the evening.

Wyatt has been pretty happy since we received him.  He doesn't really interact with us very much, which lets me know we've got our work cut out for us.  He explores his environment and takes things apart constantly.  He does get angry if you try to direct him.  Something funny:  To try to keep Wyatt out of things, I'll pick him up.  He'll immediately lean his body over and point to the floor, crying and wanting down.  When I won't put him down he begins sobbing.  After a minute or two my arms will be killing me, so I'll set him down, after which he'll reach up crying to be held.  It seems that once he's angry and upset, he needs to be comforted by being held, even if it was being held that made him angry and upset in the first place.  I am pleased that he seeks comfort from us.  That's something we can work with as he forms his attachment to us.  

Jubilee cried much less today.  I'm glad to have taken notes each day because it's comforting to me to see the change in her, even if it is small.  She actually allowed us to put her down for a short minute today, which is a big change.  We have held her for 2 days straight!  She gave us a few more smiles and every time she does my heart just melts.

Dean took Riley to the pool this afternoon.  We'll have to make that an everyday activity.  It's a mood improver.  He was so good when we headed out to the store.  Jubilee's diapers are much too big so we went out to Aeon to buy some more.  We walked around the store a bit exploring and then headed out for dinner.  We decided to take a stroll around the block and ended up on a street we weren't familiar with.  Dean's my hero, though.  He found the way back to the right street and to the Italian restaurant (Oggi's) where we were planning to eat.  Their pizza was very good and was a perfect ending to our day.

Tomorrow is the embassy medical exam.  I've heard it's an intense experience.  I'm hoping it's a piece of cake!

Appointments and Appearances, Take "I've Lost Count"

Just like in Wyatt's province, the day after receiving her, we traveled back to the civil affairs office to finalize our adoption and complete the adoption registration.  We had to promise not to neglect and abuse our new daughter and vow never to abandon her - easy promises to make!!  We had a picture taken for our adoption registration and then pictures taken with the Civil Affairs official.  We received the official registration documents and can now officially say that Jubilee is a Robinson!!

After finishing the documents required at the Civil Affairs office, we headed over to the notary office to have everything stamped up.  It was quick.  Riley stayed in the van with the Johnsons.  Thank you, Johnsons!!

Riley has struggled with the amount of sitting and waiting.  I know many have shared that their young ones have done well on this trip, but it's been very hard on ours.  I am certain that the hundred acres behind our house and the hours of playing every day make for a much different little boy.  It's just very hard to provide him with the same level of activity here and it shows in his behavior. He's getting quite good at eye-rolling.

I was so thankful for Savannah Johnson and her patience today.  She's probably thankful that she doesn't have a little brother! 

I think next week will be easier for Riley since we have more fun things planned (zoo, gardens, park, outings).  I hope so, anyway!

With an afternoon free of appointments and appearances, we filled the hours trying to keep 4 children happy. Jubilee is still crying much of the time.  She's very scared and doesn't handle unexpected moves very well.  If you can imagine, our hotel room is filled with boys making near constant unexpected moves.  I know she will adjust in time but right now crying erupts nearly every few minutes.  

Riley and I explored the entire hotel today.  We've been in and out of shops and around the gardens a thousand time.  There's a children's playroom that Riley ransacked and put back together.  The escalators are good for a few minutes entertainment.  His favorite thing to do is look at the fish.  They have gorgeous koi ponds and beautiful paths that capture his attention for the longest period of time (maybe 10 minutes).  Do other people have 5 year olds so active?  After some one on one time with my little man, he was much, much happier.

We're hoping to get to the park as soon as we've mastered having two babies.  I know we've mastered this type of scenario before, but we weren't in China.  Back home there aren't a billion people and cars and buses to consider when planning our outings.  I'm sure people can tell we aren't city folk.  We're getting better at it but you couldn't call us city slickers yet!  

After a nice nap we headed out on the town.  Riley doesn't complain about walking and we've done quite a lot of walking. There are plenty of restaurant choices and I was happy to have Mexican food for dinner.  We ate at Tekila's and it was very good.  (We had to ask for chips and salsa.  They weren't just served as we sat down.)  The new little Robinsons LOVE salsa.  Actually, Jubilee gave us her first little grin after a tiny taste of salsa.  Clearly our two new ones speak our culinary language!  We're gonna be just fine!

Despite the fact that all the children slept well through the night last night, I was exhausted today.  I'm a bit concerned about the level of lightheadedness and sleepiness and wonder if it's normal to randomly fall asleep without notice.  I think I fell asleep while talking to the kids back home on FaceTime.  Sorry kids!  If it doesn't get better I may need to visit the Western doctor in this hotel, or maybe the spa  :).  

Dean and I haven't had a conversation in days!  I hope I don't sound like a whiner.  I'm really not complaining.  It just feels more like we're manning neighboring battle stations than it feels like we're traveling together.  Not what I expected.  This is certainly not a vacation!  We might need a vacation when we get home, though.  I'm hoping that this exhaustion will subside and we'll get into a little bit of a happier routine tomorrow.  

Night, folks!

Jubilee

Today was a beautiful day!!  We barely made it to the breakfast buffet because the Robinson boys like to sleep late!  Even Wyatt was still sleeping when 9:00 rolled around this morning.  Two days with his new family and he's already a late sleeper! I managed to sleep until 7:30 for a change…Praise God!!  The breakfast buffet closes at 10:00.  We made it downstairs with only 20 minutes to spare.

Our guide, Rebecca, is fabulous!  She is so incredibly organized.  We met with her at 11:00 to sort through the paperwork and prepare packets for our various appointments and appearances.  With everything sorted and stacked and marked with stickies, we returned to the room to pack up the diaper bag and gather our things together to go meet Jubilee!!

I thought 2:00 would never get here!  We met Rebecca and our new friends, the Johnsons, in the lobby at 2:00 and then took a short ride together to the civil affairs office. There's a beautiful waiting room on the 8th floor where we sat and waited for the children to arrive.    While we waited for the children to arrive, Rebecca carefully went over the paperwork with us and made sure everything was accurate. Riley and Wyatt were all over the place.  Wyatt hasn't quite figured out that he's with us and Riley has decided that he is a toddler instead of a 5 year old, so I was praying that we'd be able to hold it together during the wait.  I'm so thankful we didn't have to wait long.  

Auntie Amy from Jubilee's orphanage arrived at the door with a beautiful little pink bundle and my heart leapt out of my chest.  Tate was snapping pictures and I was following them like a glassy eyed stalker.  Rebecca saw the look on my face and my not-so-subtle lurch toward the door and told me that I had to wait a just bit longer.  They took Jubilee through a curtained door to a small room beside the waiting room.  Torture!  After a few minutes they were coming back through the door with her.  This time we got to greet her sweet little self and 

After a few minutes they were coming back through the door with her.  This time we got to greet her sweet little self and then she was in my arms.

Amy and I moved to a section of the couch to try to calm Jubilee down and talk a bit about her schedule and needs.   Auntie Amy is from Hong Kong and speaks English….thank you, God for this time with someone so important to our sweet Jubilee.  There are no adequate words to describe the multitude of emotions that were coursing through my heart and mind at that moment.  Even trying to think about it now brings sobs to my throat.  I'm so glad Dean recorded mine and Amy's conversation because I'm having trouble remembering everything that was said.  God has shown himself in mighty ways through our journey to Jubilee.  I'm so thankful for His hand upon our little girl and humbled that we get to be her parents.  

NOTE:  For those of you traveling with young children already in the home or those of you adopting two children simultaneously…it seemed like there was no way to avoid relegating one parent to the status of bystander.  Dean and I didn't talk about this beforehand and I feel pretty bad about that.  It seems that with Wyatt and Jubilee both the cameras were thrust into his hands, as well as the task of keeping up with Wyatt and Riley, while the babies made their way into my arms.  Those that know me well aren't surprised, I suppose, but I promise I wasn't trying to be a baby hog.  We just didn't talk about it ahead of time, and there wasn't time to talk once she arrived.  It just happened. 

After we left the Civil Affairs office we made a stop at Aeon, a department store close to our hotel, to pick up a few necessities.  The Johnsons have adopted a teenage girl, so they needed to buy a translator from the electronics department.   While they shopped, we explored the store and were surprised to see things like the "As Seen on TV" section and Mother's Day signs everywhere.  If it weren't for the Chinese signs everywhere, I would've thought we were in the JC Penny's.   Jubilee peered up at me from the Ergo every few minutes, probably wondering who I am and why she's with me.  Every now and then she would cover her eyes with her tiny hands or her little blanket and just sob.  My heart breaks every time.

Armed with diapers and noodle bowls, we headed back to the hotel to hunker down for the night.  The first battles in attachment and bonding were fought, and the ranks on both side were exhausted by bedtime.  

I'm going to write more about what attachment and bonding look like for us here in China but my eyes just won't stay open tonight to tackle that.  

Pray for my babies, please.  This is hardest on them.  Night!

Adoption Registration and Travel to Guangzhou

(I'll update this post with pictures when I can hold my eyes open longer.)

I knew today was going to be a long day with a lot squeezed into the daylight hours, but I never dreamed it would begin so early!  A big "thank you, man!" goes out to Dean Robinson for setting the alarm for 2:30 am and then sleeping through the sound while I hollered, "Dean, turn the alarm off! Dean!  Dean!!"  The man can sleep through anything but a dog choking!!  He'll probably blame Riley for setting the alarm for such an ungodly hour, but since I'm up and at 'em at 2:30 in the morning and Dean's sleeping, I'm totally blaming him.

Breakfast was sweet as several families with children they received yesterday were dining in the restaurant with us.  We swapped stories about our first day with our children and chatted about the cities we'd be traveling to.  In Henan Province, adoptive families must travel to the city of their child's birth in order to apply for their child's passport.  There were no other families traveling to Xinxiang City where our little one was born. 

Celine picked us up at 8:00 in the lobby and we headed out the door.  We first returned to the Civil Affairs office to complete the registration of our adoption.  We were the only family there.  The building was quiet and Wyatt played happily the whole time.  Such a nice change from yesterday!  We were there for only a minute and had our picture taken with our adoption registration and the Civil Affairs representative.  We then drove back toward our hotel, stopping at the notary's office to have our registration notarized.  They took our picture and offered congratulations and we headed back out the door.  These events were monumental - life changing for our new son and for our family.   My heart is full and we are very happy, but everything seems very, very foggy in my mind.  I know I should have more heartfelt reflections to share, but it's hard to feel anything but exhaustion right this very minute.

After the notary office we headed back to the hotel to pack up and check out.  We ended up with a few hours to spare so we ate some noodle bowls in the room and put the little boys down for a nap.  Celine returned at 1:15 to pick us up.  We checked out, loaded up and hit the road for Xinxiang City, 2 hours away.  We weren't there long, maybe 30 minutes.  We only had to file copies of our adoption registration with the police department and pick up Wyatt's. passport.  I know it seems inconvenient to travel so far for such a small little task, but here if you just go flow you'll be happier.  After a sweet little encounter with Riley and the squatty potty we returned to van to head back to the Zhongzhou.  By the way, I totally get split pants now.  Dean said that helping Riley go to the bathroom was a nightmare.  (So glad I missed that one!)  He had to take Riley's pants and shoes off and hold him and the clothes up off of the wet bathroom floor.  The platform around the squatty potty isn't really designed for little people.  Split pants for a little squatter would've been just the ticket.  (You could've called out a "mayday", Dean.  I would've come to help you -and take a picture of the great fun!!
I was hoping Riley and Wyatt would sleep on the way back to Zhengzhou but they didn't.  Jumping all over the van and playing different songs on both mine and Dean's phones on the highest volume possible was way more fun.  Don't judge me, folks.  There are no seat belts and I was tired of saying in my singsong voice, "Let's sit down now.  Let's be calm.  Remember to be kind. Only one song at a time. Let's not pull hair.  Let's not pinch."  It might have been weak to just let them go, but enduring Third Day's "I wanna be a rockstar" and Matthew West belting out , "Hello, My name is...", was easier than fighting the fighting our two littliest during the LONG RIDE! I'm so sorry, Celine  She probably breathed a huge sign of relief when we finally arrived at the security counter at the airport. 

Celine took us to a Chinese restaurant on the way to the airport.  I wish I hadn't gone to the bathroom.  In an effort to be positive about our experiences here, I will reserve all comments.  We ate there anyway.  Call me brave or call me stupid.  I think the exhaustion has effected my ability to worry about germs and safety.  I figured if I was in a little village in the eastern mountain of Honduras I would be willing and eager to share a meal with the people there, even if the surrounding weren't what made me feel the safest.  Riley and Tate complained the whole time.  It's been a long time since they've eaten Western food.  They've done so well and Riley just wants a cheeseburger!!  The food was very good.  We ate sweet and sour pork, dumplings, green beans and eggplant and noodles.  It was strange that the restaurant does not serve anything to drink but hot water but no biggie.  We've got three hours to kill at the airport.  Drinks aplenty there!!

The airport in Zhengzhou has a nice indoor playground and the boys had a great time running, climbing and playing with a few other little boys there.  Wyatt was precious and giggled and laughed the whole time.  I was thankful for the time there because both Riley and Wyatt were asleep before the plane took off and didn't wake up until we were at the gate and leaving the plane.

Rebecca picked us up at the airport.  She's amazing.  Y'all, Lifeline is amazing!  We have wanted for nothing (but good Internet) our entire time here!  Our guides, Helen, Celine and Rebecca, are sweet, kind and helpful.  They tell us what to do, when to do it and how to do it.  Our drivers must have been former race car or demolition derby drivers.  They've gotten us safely from place to place, though I will say my heart jumped into my throat a time or two. People drive a little wild here, y'all.  There are no seat belts or carseats, or expectation that you must drive on the right side of the road .  If you will soon be traveling to China, gear yourself up for this now, folks.  Remember, expectations higher than reality will equal disappointment! Our Western ideas about traffic flow, the painted lines on the road, playing highway chicken, seat belts, and carseats don't apply here. Think the 70s and the back end of a green Oldsmobile station wagon!  We survived!  It will all be okay!!

Our hotel is luxury to someone like me that is surrounded every day by the chaos of so many peanut butter covered fingers and baskets of laundry piled to the ceiling.  They replace the flowers in the lobby every day and it's quiet and has waterfalls.  I know a third grader could've written a more eloquent description of this amazing hotel, but I'm tired and excited about tomorrow.  In about 12 hours we will have Jubilee in our arms!! 

I can't wait to share the details of another new little Robinson tomorrow!