December 24 - Big Day

This morning we were all feeling a little nervous about the importance of the day. We were ready early and headed down to breakfast.

Our first stop was to visit the police officers that found Ailee. We were fortunate enough to make contact with them through our searcher and have been communicating with them through WeChat. WeChat is an app that China uses to communicate and keep in touch online. It has been very, very helpful to us while we are here and it gives us the ability to stay in contact, once we are home.

The police officers were very kind and they were quite interested in our life in Canada. We had some great conversations and they wanted us to know that they consider us friends and that we are more than welcome to return.

We then drove about an hour to Ailee’s orphanage. We visited the orphanage in 2012 and although we recognized the main building, we could see that there were quite a few changes to grounds since we had been there. The building that Ailee lived in with her nannies was no longer in use – they had built a brand new building and the original building was no longer accessible. We were a little disappointed that we couldn’t show Ailee the room she lived in and that we remembered.

The director toured us around the orphanage, which is now home to children with severe disabilities. It was very difficult to see the rooms filled with kids and to just walk away. Difficult to put into words and it went against every fibre of my being.

When we were on our tour the director realized that Ailee’s nannies had in fact taken a leave for a few days to care for a sick parent. While we understood the unpredictability of a family emergency, we were devastated that after all this distance, we wouldn’t be able to visit the nannies. Ailee took this news quite hard and I felt so guilty for putting her in that position.

Luckily, an hour later, we got the news that they had been able to connect with the nannies and that the wife was going to join us for lunch, even though she wasn’t working. Ailee beamed at this news and I felt very relieved that she would get the opportunity we had talked so much about at home.
Ailee’s nanny ended up meeting us at the gates of the orphanage on our way to lunch – as soon as I heard someone speak behind me, I knew who it was. She has a very distinctive voice. We all headed off to lunch and we were able to spend a few hours together, sharing stories of Ailee and talking about her likes and dislikes. It gave Ailee an opportunity to absorb what was happening and to begin to connect once again with them woman who had cared for her during the first year and half of her life.

When it was time to leave, we all felt completely drained. I felt like I could have slept for days. It took about an hour and a half to get back to the hotel, where we were able to rest for a little while. Then, it was time to prepare for Christmas festivities!

The kids wore their Christmas pyjamas and we took pictures in the lobby of our amazing hotel. Earlier in the afternoon, Lori and Nancy decorated Nancy’s room with a few Christmas decorations and just after we got back, Paul went and got snacks for the group. We then gathered in Nancy’s room and were able to eat together, listen to a Christmas story, and open a few presents. It was a wonderful way to spend Christmas, halfway around the world!

Other photos from the day:

Sunday, December 23rd

Today was the first day that we were able to begin touring and not simply traveling to get to our destination. We started out with the absolute yummiest buffet at our hotel - and it was even better than we remembered! The Garden Hotel in Guangzhou is the hotel we stayed at when Ailee first came into our family in 2012. Walking into the hotel was a rush of emotions and it brought back a lot of wonderful memories. It has also been fun to tell Ailee stories about the first week we spent together as a family and show her, in person, what and where we are talking about. 

The table where we ate breakfast when
we were here in 2012...

Maelyn is in love with pho soup for breakfast!

After breakfast we went to the zoo in Guangzhou. We wanted to give the kids something to do that would grab their attention and allow them to get rid of some of the energy they built up after days of travelling and not being able to run around. 

The zoo has undergone a lot of changes since the last time we have been there. The zoo looks fantastic! The kids had a blast interacting with the animals - there were minimal crowds and the animals were awake and active, as the weather wasn't too hot.

The kids also had time to interact together and it was great to see them enjoying each other’s company.
 

A Canadian classic...

I just love these brooms....

The two biggest highlights of the zoo was being able to see the pandas and feeding the giraffes. The kids – and the adults – adored being able to feed them leaves and even pet them a little. What an experience!

After the zoo our guide, Michael, brought us to a restaurant for a meal. It was our first meal as a whole group and Maelyn was dying for some authentic Chinese food. The restaurant was busy and noisy, but it was located in a beautiful area and the staff were very friendly. The food was delicious!

Once we were done lunch, we went for a walk around the area. It was beautiful and we had fun taking pictures, watching the locals get ready for a festival in traditional gowns, and even having our pictures taken by many, many people. I cannot tell you how often we have been stopped to have our group picture taken or to have someone join in our group for the shot. We have rolled with it and hammed it up for the cameras to keep it lighthearted. Ailee despises the attention and Maelyn adores being ‘famous.’

It was then time to part ways with our group. Our family was heading towards Zhang mu tou overnight,  to visit Ailee’s finding spot and then Dongguan, to visit the orphanage and her nannies. The rest of the group was heading back to the hotel to rest and then do some touring the next day.

Our drive to Zhang mu tou was about 2 hours long. The girls chilled with some iPad time, while Paul and I dozed in the van. Once we got there, and with the help of our guide, we were able to locate Ailee’s finding spot. We spent some time as a family talking about her first family and the love they must have felt for her to leave her in a spot where they knew that she would be found and cared for. We then headed to our hotel, which I was a little worried about – with it being a little more remote than Guangzhou.

I shouldn’t have worried – this place was phenomenal! We had to drive up a long mountain driveway to get the front of the hotel. There were fountains, trees, and lights everywhere! They were decorated for Christmas and it looked beautiful! When we got into our room, a staff member bought us up a tray of fruit. It was awesome! The kids played well together in the room and then it was bedtime.

Can't wait until tomorrow!