Thursday, December 19th

     When I woke up this morning, I could tell that I was improving.  I had not developed any more symptoms, and I wasn't quite as weak or dizzy.  We moved slowly through our morning routine, getting a late breakfast, because there was nothing planned for the day.  Miko had given us a specific time in which we must be in our room so that she could contact us.  It was a great feeling when we met up with her and took possession of every last document that we needed in order to leave China.  We are finally done  with everything we need to do before we exit China with Emily, and enter the US with the newest little Jacobsen!!!

    Once we were sure that all was in order, we repacked the suitcases.  We had organized them in the hotel room to be able to find our things easily, but now we packed up for the ease of getting home... (what a great word!!)

    I didn't really have the strength to be out and about much, so I was really glad that we'd seen all the sights we wanted to see, as well as bought all the things we needed to buy!  We basically stayed around the hotel all day, playing in the room.  Emily stuck very close by Daddy!

 

Oops -- here's an unguarded moment when we let her get

too close to the computer!!  

Her cold left her with a bad fever blister on her lip.  

It looks pretty swollen in this picture, but it's not quite that bad.

For some different scenery, we went to the hotel kids' play room for awhile.

She's not really comfortable in places that she doesn't know well,

 so she didn't really want to play that long----

 but it gave us something different to do.

  Several of the families who had consular appointments before us have already left.  The rest of us got together for supper as a farewell dinner.  We went to a Chinese noodle house that was very close by.  One of the other couples had discovered it, and Dan and I had never been there.  I wish we had found it earlier!  It's funny how you get set in your ways.  The hotel had several entrances and exits.  When we were leaving on the van or bus, we always went out the front.  The main shopping centers we went to were out the front as well.  Directly behind the hotel was the garden area where we often took walks. We got used to heading one particular direction out of one side exit whenever we were going to eat.  It was just easier to get across the street that way.   As a result, we never really explored the area out the opposite side of the hotel.... which was where this noodle house was.  Emily was not being cooperative at all, and it was a stressful meal for Dan.  I couldn't really help much, because she was even less cooperative with me!  But, I needed to eat to get my strength back, so Dan pretty much just let me eat and visit a little bit with the other families.  Everyone was so excited about heading home!  I wish that we all lived closer together so that we could meet up every now and then.  As it is, of our 4 families that were eating together tonight, we're in 4 different states--- not close at all.  :(  

   Emily started throwing a fit, so we left before the others finished.  After taking it easy all day, I really am doing better, but just walking across the street  (briskly, -- in order not to get hit by the crazy traffic) left me out of breath and weak, and I had to stop to rest before we could get into the hotel!  I can tell that I won't be too sick for the plane ride home, though!!!  --- and, that's the main thing at the moment!!

  We skyped with the kids for last minute instructions on how to have the house ready for Emily's arrival (take anything breakable or valuable off shelves, protect the lamps, have the computer room door closed, etc.!!!  ha ha!!  Well, we were laughing, but entirely serious at the same time!

  One more night, and we're on our way!!!