We had a very long day. We were up at 6:00am and in the van on the way to the orphanage at 7:30am. The drive was over 3 hours each way and very rough. Not having a baby seat made it that much more interesting for us. The countryside is beautiful and very green!! Lindsey did well each way but did have some mini meltdowns. She would not take a bottle on the way there so she was a bit grumpy. We arrived at the orphanage and the director and some nannies were there to meet us. The nanny took Lindsey and she immediately wanted to come to me. That was a great feeling!!! She is adjusting well.

I was able to see Lindsey's "finding spot." She was left at the gate of the orphanage. That was really emotional for me. Steve and I know firsthand what it is like to suffer the loss of a child. I just kept thinking that Lindsey's birth mom made the ultimate sacrifice for her baby. We are very lucky indeed.

The orphanage was in the corner of a very tall, white building. It is called a Social Welfare Institute because it houses orphans as well as elderly.

We were able to go inside and take pictures of some babies and the staff.

I played with the babies a little. Lindsey looked a little lost. Her "favorite" nanny made her a bottle and she would not take that, either. We think it was because she used a different brand powdered milk. After playing with the babies we headed off for lunch with the staff.

We had lunch at what looked like a house in the city of Gutian...

The food was interesting that is for sure! Steve tried everything - I stuck with rice and vegetables. The staff chatted way in Chinese. The assistant director kept toasting Steve and offering him more Chinese beer. I stuck to water.

We headed back to the hotel and Lindsey took two bottles for us and a short nap. We had fun playing and trying to keep her in one spot. She likes to throw things and bang them around so the car ride was fun!!! I will try and update for today (July 12th, later). We leave for Guangzhou tomorrow!!