We're HOME!!!!!!!!!!! ("to the place where "we" belong"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
We cannot believe how well she is adjusting ALREADY!!!!!!!!! She is now glued to Hannah's side and is sitting in Hannah's lap as I post this!!! Hannah said she already loves being a big sister!!!!

Thank You ALL sooooooooooooooooo much for your constant emails and postings!!!!!!!!!!!
It is such a wonderful feeling to know that we are loved this much and now by the grace of God Emmie will now know that same feeling!!!!!!!!!!!

We love you all
The Marsili's
Ken, Ann, Lauren, Gabby, Hannah & Emmie

Attached is Emmie and her friend Sara. Sara is also being adopted in our group and is 7 1/2 years old, they have bonded and become very close friends. Tomorrow we have our consulate appointment where we will obtain Emmie's visa and then we are out of here. Cannot wait to come home and be back with all of you. God Bless you all for your emails and support what a great experience to share.

Monday, September 23

Today we went to a museum with our group and completed a large amount of paperwork. Tomorrow we have the medical appointment and then we are just waiting for the paper work to be processed before our consulate appointment on Thursday. We went shopping again, (the most shopping I have done in 2 years) and we bought Emmie her first dress. The hotel we are staying in has a Starbucks so the coffee has been flowing well in case you where worried.

Friday

Today we received Emmie's birth certificate and pass port. As part of the paper work we found out that Emmie had been abandoned at a local hospital when she was 2 and was then in foster care for the last 6 years. We went to the orphanage and the hospital where she was abandoned. We also went to her school that she attended for the last year where during recess we became a little bit of an attraction with about 100 kids gathering around us to slap five and say hello in English. We where a couple of Americans on display.

Today is a our last day in Nanchagn and tomorrow we travel to Guangzhou. In Guangzhou we obtain Emmies Visa, have a medical exam and complete the Consulate appointment. In Guangzhou we will meet up with the 12 families we started with in Beijing so it will be nice to be with some English speaking folks.

Emmie has made great progress in learning English, really she has learned the most important word she needs to be American, "COFFEE".

September 19

We have the official China Adoption Certificate with our gifts given to all of the offices needed to process the Certificate. All we have left to do at this point is to obtain Emmie's passport that will be ready on September 20. We then fly to Guangzhou on the 21st where we have the medical inspection and the visa for Emmie. Guangzhou is more Western from what we hear so we are hoping for some food without a fishy taste, does not go well with coffee.

Tuesday

We have her and all went pretty well. She was quite for about the first hours at the orphanage but that only lasted a while. She is very busy, into everything, and has a great sense of humor. We have a video from our initial meeting but I cannot load it onto the blog. Today is a day of paperwork at the Adoption Affairs Center where we will be at for the next 3 days.

SHE"S HERE!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Everyone,

It's 6:45pm on Monday the 17th!!!!! We have our Emmie!!!!!!
I have to say the meeting seemed very scarey for her!!!! She didn't smile at all and didn't seem to want much to do with us!!! Well.........along comes Ken......need i say more.......? He decides he's going to be 8 years-old too!!!! And I have to say that's all it took!!!!! The "Emmie smile" appeared and it hasn't left her face since!!!!!

We went to the market and had Emmie pick out some snacks (she loves to snack....Daddys girl already!!!) she wouldn't let go of Ken's hand. I have to say I love watching them together my heart just swells!!!!!!

They just cut her hair very short!!!! She told our translator she likes long hair...she like to wear pig tails.......so we are goingto let it grow!!!!!!

She laughs at Ken's "Chinese" (if that's what you call it)

Ok now she is jumping from bed to bed.....I'm waiting for Ken tojoin in!!!!!!!

She loves to skip and jump, she was skipping and jumping all down the street today!!!!
She is truley a gift from God as is her smiles and laughter.

I have to say it was pretty scarey at first......once again God was faithful!!!!!

Well we are waiting for room service and Ken is TRYING to leave to exchange money....she keeps following him to the door and pulling is arm back......she has now put her shoes on and is going with him........what a wonderful Daddy he is!!!!!!!

ok now I'm saying good night....we'll try topost the video soon>

Love to all,
Ken, Ann & Emmie