Catching up!

Ni hao! (I almost said hola...haha)
It's time to catch my blog up with all the craziness around here! I've kept really busy lately, which is good. Getting a lot done. I'm almost finished with the photos! Yay!
I went to the actual orphanage yesterday/today, it was...wow. They have a whole floor that's on "lock down"...which is where all the doors on that floor are dead bolted and the kids are literally tied to chairs and things, because their special need (mentally, mostly) is so extreme and they can hurt themselves/others. I didn't get to go in, obviously, but from what I heard on the outside of the door was enough... :(
I've been working as an Ayi in house 5 (the baby house) a lot, which is sooo exhausting, but I love it! 11 hour days taking care of so many babies/toddlers is so tiring, that I end up falling asleep as soon as I get back (5:30pm), which has messed up my sleep schedule again lol, but oh well, I'll really mess it up soon, when I go home anyway, right  ;). Getting to house 5 is interesting, though. I have to take a taxi...alone. I have a card that has the address on it for house 5 and 6 (6 is fairly close to where I'm staying, so I get dropped off there and then walk), but getting back is crazy. I have to walk a ways down the street from house 5 and hope to spot a taxi and wave them down. There's something about not only getting in a vehicle with a stranger, but PAYING to do so, that's not very comforting.. lol. but it's gone pretty well.
At the orphanage is where Eagles Wings' houses 3 and 4 are. Yesterday I took photos of the kids in house 3 -- they're so cute! It went exceptionally well.
This morning I got to skype some friends at frisbee! It was sooo awesome! (thanks guys!) Great getting to see them again, and even watch a little of the game ;) haha. Can't wait to play again!  For lunch I went and had "street food" again. It was really good :) After Xuixi, I went back to the orphanage to take photos at house 4, which is all the really difficult special needs kids. It went well and I got some fairly good shots, but it's so different trying to photograph kids that aren't really all there mentally. Interesting experience.
Tonight I went to a "train" restaurant with Donna, her kids, Micah, Kaitie and some of their friends to have a little "party", since us volunteers are leaving soon...
After almost a full month of being healthy, I'm sick once again! Although this time it's a cold...to be honest, I'd much rather be sick for 24hrs from food "poisoning" than this, but there's nothing I can do about it haha. Not sure how working at the baby house will work out next week, if I still have the cold, but we'll see! I lost my voice completely earlier in the afternoon (I blame Rachel and the people at frisbee for make me 'scream' into the computer to talk to them ;)) haha. Actually it's probably the sleep, or lack thereof, that I've gotten lately (I think I got about 4hrs last night :( )

Cheng Cheng steals my heart every single time I walk in the room now (it's BREAKING my heart, too)! He always comes running and gives me a big hug and kiss (I wonder why I'm sick now :P) and even a few of the toddlers in house 5 come up and give me a kiss, too. *sigh* I love them!

FYI, my email was hacked the other day, so I haven't and won't receive emails to that one anymore. So I'm sticking with gmail now.
 
If you all could be thinking of my family, it'd be wonderful! There is sooo much going on right now!
My mom's email was also hacked, Faith had her visit with the cardiologist today and it looks like she'll need surgery soon-ish/a lot throughout life? (poor girl hates doctors), I think some of the kids at home have been sick, too. Our water heater not only died, but it burst and flooded our basement... we have company x2, coming in next Sat. And yeah, I could keep going, but you get the idea... I wish I could hug my mom <3

On the upside, it sounds like things are going great with Faith and Anna! They both love American food now and are picking up some English here and there. They don't like the cold weather (and it's only fall -- just wait til winter!) haha. Anna has already been talking about her life back here in China and has said she loves her "China baba (dad)", but she loves her "America baba" too! (her dad died a few years ago, which is why she was put up for adoption). I'm sure there's a lot of emotional issues that will come up eventually, and that's completely normal. But so far, things are going great. We're so blessed. :)