Marney with Chen Li, the woman that took care of her for the first 18 months of her life. I had a hard time keeping my emotions in check when I met her again after 6 years. I attribute the love that she gave to LiHua is the reason Marney is such a loving person.
Marney at her tile at the Philip Hayden Foundation. This is an overwhelming site as well! Tiles of orphans that have found loving homes. The tiles are a fundraiser for those left behind.
This photo is of Marney eating breakfast at the hotel. They had a wonderful buffet which included both Chinese and Western food. Marney filled up on watermelon and cucumbers! She must have eaten an entire watermelon at each meal!
Marney at The Great Wall! I know that I said it earlier in this blog, but I was really blown away by this experience. The enormity of the project and just imagining the workers so very many years ago--it was overwhelming! I just wish that we could have packed a lunch and spent the entire day hiking it--we were having so much fun!
I just had to share this photo as it pretty much shows Marney's mood prior to our picking up Jack. We really were on vacation for a few days before the work of adjusting to a new baby and, of course getting hime to adjust to us!
Every day I am sad that I could not take Tracy as she wants to know every single detail about our trip. She is just curious about everything. I still think it was the right decision for Sam and she is so enjoying kindergarten and learning so much every day that it just would have caused her too much turmoil at school to have missed so much. I think that she and Sam are doing very well even after having been left for so long and that is thanks to Joan, Linda, and Diane for taking such good care of them. I am so very grateful for that! There is no way to really thank people who take care and nurture your children when you cannot. I have been so blessed by friends and family who have pitched in. Marney stayed with our close friends in Aspen, the Schillers for over two weeks in 2002 when I traveled for Tracy and my brother, Bob, and his wife, Debbie, have watched my children more times than I can count including 2004 when Sam joined us! And Patti Seifert, if you are reading this . . . I missed your company on the trip!
One night recently Marney said as I was tucking her into bed, "It was kind of a bad day wasn't it?" I cannot even remember what had happened to make her say that, but I remember my reply. It was, "You know, as long as I end my day with you, Tracy, Sam and Jack, it doesn't matter what kind of day it was--I'm happy!"
