traveling home...caught up and ready to fly home

These are our final pictures from the White Swan this morning. The first two photos are real jade sculptures - have been there at least the 10 years we started coming. The fountains that are filled with the biggest koi you have ever seen...the outside of the hotel and a few shots in the Beijing airport. We flew from Guangzhou to Beijing at 11:00 this morning, arrived at 2:00. We had a 4 hour layover and were to depart at 6:30 - but we are now delayed two hours. We are sitting in the Business Class lounge for Air China, kids playing cards and I am finishing this last blog - I can't believe it - caught up , done...and only have to sort through 1200 pictures at home to create special hand created albums for each of the kids - their own memory book from this trip. This blog is going to be great to refer back to and I am so glad I did this. It is a bit sad in a way to be done but also a great relief! I would say the trip was a great success and exceeded our expectations tremendously. We have seen sights and experienced events that we will always remember. We have made new friends that we look forward to seeing again. Most of us have agreed that we must go back in 5 years and hope that we can do it again with Louie and each other - so 2015 - back - to new cities and some old... Maybe Shanghi and Tibet?? Wwith the children teenagers with a new perspective and... us - a bit older, but think of how technology will make memorializing the next trip even easier - who knows how..

Thanks to all that sent me responses and feedback - can't wait to see so many of you personally to share more... We willl arrive tonight back in Washington around 9:30 p.m. Believe it or not, Ben leaves for camp tomorrow - that will be a new adventure for him! Can't wait to be home. Hugs all...