After another great breakfast we walked over to Hannah and Callum's home. Trent and I attempted to take Ruth out to play in the complex's garden but it did not go well. She was in a familiar place with unfamiliar people and it was unsettling for her. Callum settled her down for her nap and stayed behind with Iona while Hannah and Freya escorted Trent and I to the Forbidden City.
Hannah is so adventurous. I imagine hailing a cab in Beijing is similar to in New York City, and she was a pro! There was a conference (The New Silk Road Summit) in Beijing this week which made for a tremendous queue to get into the Forbidden City.
Waiting and waiting, inching forward. For us country folk it was a little daunting and probably my least favorite part.
Once we finally got through the line things opened up a bit
Amazing silk flags blowing!
All the buildings had names like "gate of the ..."
Lots of intricate painting and designs.
Probably my favorite is the juxtaposition of the old temple, the new buildings beyond the temple, and the ancient mountains on the horizon.
Quite the crowd of onlookers shoving each other to get a photo of this throne.
Many interesting doorways with these copper tripping hazards behind us. :)
Details on a doorway. This looked like glazed pottery.
We loved the Temple gardens.
Pagoda in the garden.
Moat around the back part of the temple.
Hailing a cab to leave the Forbidden Temple was really crazy. It was an experience watching Hannah haggle over the price of the cab. She has lived in Beijing for 11 years and speaks Chinese fluently. The cab driver tried to rip her off but she was amazing at getting him to back the price down.
Callum and Iona and Ruth met us for a late lunch. It was a Peking Duck dinner and absolutely fabulous. This may have been my favorite meal.
Ruthie really enjoyed this meal also. She loves dipping sauces and this one was particularly enjoyable.
We walked back through a beautiful park and then took another cab the rest of the way back to Hannah and Callum's.
We spent a quiet evening exchanging gifts. We received the most wonderful and important book from Hannah and Callum full of all the photos from Ruth's year with them, displaying the beautiful growth she had directly related to their tender care. This brought me to tears. It was so lovely, so emotional. They are such a giving family and I feel like we received the most sacrificial gift: their loving Ruth and then letting her go to us.
The girls liked these blankets that my mom made.
There is an ancient Chinese Proverb that I think I shared before and is commonly heard with Chinese adoptions:
An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break.
While we wish Ruth could have been raised by her birth family that was not possible. I do believe that they loved her so much that they did what they thought was best for her future. Between the orphanage, Holt's Peace House, Hannah and Callum's family, and now to our family, there are people all over the world who love this special girl. Whether we ever have the opportunity to meet her birth family or all the others who have followed her story, we are now connected.
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