Finally Able to Blog!

Update:  We are home now so I am able to add pictures!

Ni Hao!  

I am SO sorry for the lack of posts.  I know lots of you are waiting and checking in for updates.  While we were in Shanghai we had all kinds of internet & VPN problems and were not able to access Facebook or Blogger since they are blocked by the Chinese Firewall.

We are now in Guangzhou, and the connection is much better.  

So now I can go back and fill you all in on the past week!

On Wednesday, Aug. 22, after the kids got home from their first day of school, we drove to Chicago to spend the night before our flight on Thursday.  We basically just hung out in our room and enjoyed being together.  Thursday afternoon the hotel shuttle took us to the airport.

Our flight was 15 1/2 hours to Hong Kong.  It was a wonderful flight.  Everyone from the airline was amazing, the service was great.  They served us dinner, snacks, and another meal shortly before landing.  Every seat had its own TV entertainment system, so the kids enjoyed watching movies.  They slept about 7 hours of the flight so they were feeling rather refreshed by the time we landed.  We had a 50 minute layover in Hong Kong, and then  2 hour flight to Shanghai.  We made it through customs with no problems, except Rylee got stopped by a police officer for taking a picture of the "Welcome to Shanghai" sign in the airport.  Apparently photos are not allowed.  He made her show him the picture and then made her delete it before she could go.  Whew.  Our guide, Alice, was waiting for us.  After she got over the shock of how much luggage we had, she helped us load up and the driver took us to our hotel, The Bund Hotel.  By this time it was almost 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning.  As soon as we got checked in and all the luggage into our room, we all went to bed.  I'm not even sure any of us changed our clothes!