Our last days in Lanzhou

We had our internet turned off last night before I was able to blog so I am catching you up on our last two days tonight. We had a nice last day in Lanzhou with the weather finally warming up. It was a national holiday here in China, a first for them so the city was bustling with many more people out enjoying a rare day off school and work. We spent the day walking the streets and buying a few things from Hudson's province, Gansu.
The best part of the day was finding a whole new world right behind our hotel. Here were the streets of the typical city people and the true markets. The girls vowed never to eat chicken again as they watched a man pick out a chicken, the lady cut it's head off (where it fell into a bucket of heads) and then it flopped around in large blue bucket for a few minutes before she removed it, soaked with blood and preceeded to pull it's feathers off. It was quite the education and one we glad we saw. Such a hard life for many people.
We were in bed early as we had to leave at 5:30 this morning and are now sitting in our LARGE and luxurious hotel room in Guangzhou...yeah!!! We have been reunited with the most of our travel group and enjoyed a heavenly meal at McDonalds. We haven't yet met all the kids as we arrived at different times but did spend a little time with Lilly, Maggie and Micah. Tomorrow we will all spend the day together once again. The friendships we have formed have been amazing and it is wonderful to be back together again. A few sick kids still. Andrew is feeling much better (thanks for your prayers for him) but little Micah is now sick and possibly Joshua. Maggie is feeling better and seemed to enjoy being around Abby and Hudson tonight.

As much as we wanted to leave Lanzhou, we were a little saddened to leave Gansu were Hudson was born. It is a bit bitter sweet...we will always hold dear this Province where our son was born and lived the first two years of his life. It would have been a hard life for him I am sure. It was obvious he was well loved and taken care of in Pingliang and we will forever be grateful to his Ayi's. We do leave behind his birthplace and his birthparents and one day hope to return with him to show him this land of beautiful culture and people. Thanks you Gansu for your gift to us!!!!