Saturday update...photos!

Sorry I forgot some photos!

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Saturday update

First of all, sorry for the long time between updates.

Friday was a long day for the Buffalo family. After Sherry brought our paperwork from the public notary on Thursday night at about 8:30, we got up about 7 and went to breakfast in the hotel in Xi'an. After that, I made a run to Wal-Mart and bought Emmy a suitcase so we could finish packing.

We had to check out of the hotel by 1 p.m. because of a convention coming to our hotel. We left our luggage with the concierge and walked to Pizza Hut for lunch. The pizza was awesome and the Pepsi drinks were better than any coke we've had in China so far.

We walked by some shops and went to the mall across the street from the hotel and bought Emmy a pair of shoes at Van's department store, which is a pretty upscale place.

We met Sherry back at the hotel about 2:45 then we went to the Civil Affairs office to get Emmy's passport. After that, we drove to the airport and waited until we could check in with our luggage and get our tickets at 5 p.m. Before we went through security, we had to say good-bye to Sherry. She is someone whom we will always be grateful to and for because she is the one person who helped us through the first 5 days of being parents to miss Mary Elisabeth. We love her very much!

We got through security and I had to walk Emmy around the terminal because she was getting restless. She didn't have her afternoon nap, which made her pretty fussy. We got on the plane and she didn't want to sit still but did okay. I fed her some rice…Linda and I didn't eat the food :( So we were hungry all night.

We finally got Emmy asleep on the plane and she was doing okay until something startled her and she woke up screaming. She wanted her mommy. She still had a few moments but her first plane ride went okay.

Getting our luggage was a chore. First, we had to get off the plane onto the Tarmac. Then we had to take a tram to the terminal to get our luggage. Then, the airport had about 5 flights picking up their luggage on the same conveyor belt. Two of our pieces went around several times because I couldn't get past some of the people there to get them. We were frustrated but managed to pick everything up.

Us and two other families met Rosa, the national guide, after we got our luggage. We packed into a van and drove to the hotel and got here at about 11 p.m. We had to be in the lobby at 8:30 a.m on Saturday so, needless to say, we didn't get much sleep.

I got up about 6. Took a shower and let Emmy sleep a while. We then went to breakfast on the 45th floor on a rotating restaurant. It was nice but it took me a bit to get my bearings back. After that, I had to make some photocopies of a couple of documents then we loaded on the bus with the other families to get to the medical examinations and get a photo of Emmy taken for her visa application.

At the clinic, each child went to three stations. One, they weighed and measured emmy. Two, was an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor. Third was a check of her special needs. Emmy also needed to get a TB test. She screamed only a little bit and was fine. She'll get it checked on Monday morning.

We then went shopping at a supermarket type place, which was similar to Wal-Mart in Xi'an. We got another stroller (we donated our first one to Sherry) some bottled water, powdered milk for Emmy and some snacks for all of us. After that, we had the rest of the day off!!!!

We ventured down the street and over a walking bridge to McDonald's! Emmy had her first taste of the Golden Arches and she loved it. She had Chicken McNuggets and French fries. We then came back to the room and Emmy is taking a nap, Mommy is going through our clothes and I'm writing the blog.

We'll update some more tomorrow. Love to all!!!

Thursday update

Today, Thursday, was a light day for us. We got up early and went to the breakfast buffet in the hotel then went back to the room. The Buffalo clan just hung out for a while. I washed some underwear in our sink with some laundry soap that Sherry, the best local guide in the world, helped us get at Wal-Mart on Monday.

After that, all three of us took a nap about noon and got up about 1:30 p.m. Linda and I both showered and we went across the street to the mall and ate lunch at the CSC. We all had chicken wings and Pepsi, which actually tastes better than coke here in China.

We then went to a store like Sears and I looked at cameras but all they had were Canon Digital Rebels or the equivalent to them. After that, we went to Wal-Mart and got a few needed things. Emmy was waving at everyone she saw.

Then, we went to Dairy Queen for the second day in a row. Emmy loves ice cream. We couldn't shovel it in fast enough for her. She had it all over her face as you can see from the pix.

We crossed the road and went back to the hotel. We're waiting on Sherry to come here with some paperwork about 7:30 p.m. Meantime, Emmy is picking up stuff and throwing it away for us. I guess that is something she learned to do in the orphanage. Maybe it will come in handy when we get home.

Oh, I've also included a photo that Linda took of me and Emmy. Thanks to Pam Clem in Cabot Athletic office for the T-shirt I'm wearing. Also, Emmy is wearing a Raggedy Ann outfit that Linda bought one day with her Grandma Rose Mary when Linda took Mom to one of her treatments last year. They got it at Mom's favorite restaurant Cracker Barrel in North Little Rock. I know Mom is looking down on all of us right now. It brings a tear to my eye as I write this.

We'll try to update tomorrow sometime. We're supposed to fly Guanghzou sometime tomorrow evening. So say a little prayer for us.

Love to all

Terra Cotta Soldiers

On Wednesday, the Buffalo family, along with our guide Sherry (who is the best), visited the Terra Cotta Soldiers museum. Sherry told us all about it on the trip to the museum then was our guide inside the museum. I had learned somethign about it from Coach Andy Runyan at Cabot High School.

Emmy was great except when we stopped in a gift shop to buy a jade bracelet. Emmy pitched a Lilly-Munnerlyn-Buffalo-Gaines-Raborn fit. She wanted her daddy to get her out of the stroller, which, of course, he did. I'm already wrapped around her pinkie.

Emmy loves to eat. We have a pretty good idea that she didn't get to eat as much as she would have liked in the orphanage. It is very difficult to tell her "no" especially when it comes to snacks.

On Tuesday when we visited the civil affairs office, one of the nannies gave Emmy a bracelet with her birthdate on it. There is a matching bracelet that she will receive when she comes back to visit. It was very touching.

Well, tomorrow (Thursday) is a free day for us. We'll probably wash some clothes and maybe get something good to eat. We'll meet Sherry on Thursday night to get some more paperwork from her from the notorary here in Xi'An.

Love to all

Mark, Linda and Mary Elisabeth

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Second Day as a family

Tuesday was a busy day for the Buffalo family!
We woke up at 6:15 a.m. and Emmy was soaked. She peed the bed but we took a quick bath and she was fine.
We went to eat breakfast about 7:30. Emmy loves watermelon and banana nut muffins. She kept begging for her mommy's muffin!
Sherry, our local guide, took us to the civil affairs office and we were interviewed as a formality. We then went to the police station for Emmy to have her picture taken for her passport back to America.
We then ate lunch at….Pizza Hut! They didn't have pepperoni but it was really, really good. Then Mommy, Daddy and Emmy all took a two-hour power nap before Sherry returned.
We then went to the square in Xi'An and saw a lot of really cool things, including artwork and a big pagoda. We even rode in a taxi…Mommy said it was like a bad ride at the state fair!
We'll try to update more later. Here are some pix we took today.
Love to all

Our Gotcha Day

Our guide Sherry picked us at the hotel at 3:30 and we went to the civil affairs office in Xi'an. While there, we had to sign some paperwork and the nannies from the oprhanage brought An Qing Shu to us. She cried and didn't want to have anything to do with us. She was throwing a Raborn fit!!! The nannies told her who we were and when we left, I carried her to the car and after that, she was an angel. She didn't really cry any again until we gave her a bath then put her down in the baby bed in the hotel room. We gave her some warm milk and she was out like a light!!!

Sherry took me to Wal-Mart and KFC to get some stuff for Emmy and some food for Mommy and Daddy. It wasn't the greatest in the world but we hadn't eaten since breakfast so it was awesome! And while I was gone, Emmy and Mommy bonded. As you can see in the picture, she is ours.

On Tuesday, we have to pay funds to the orphanage and go through an interview process. We had to pledge that we will never abandon this little girl. She is so gorgeous. She babbled some and enjoyed listening to music coming from the TV. At least someone liked it! ha ha.

so please say some more prayers for us. We are in this for the long haul.

Love to all.

Introducing Mary Elisabeth Buffalo

Here are some pix of our beautiful little girl, Mary Elisabeth Buffalo. I'll give you all some more info later in the evening. About to head to wallyworld to get some stuff for Emmy

Love to all