Mom,

We just had an awesome breakfast and I was able to eat! There are many westerners here, more than I expected. Louisiana is known for its hospitality, but I have never been surrounded by so many friendly people. The hotel has a huge pool and a Gold's Gym so Tanner will be able to maintain his workout schedule. The sun is just coming out and the high today is 85 so we should be able to get some pool time this afternoon.

I just talked to Che' and she will be here around 10:00 to take us to the Parenting Foundation where we will meet Ricky. We plan to take his foster mother and Che to lunch and hopefully Richard will be able to join us, too.

From what we have seen of Manila so far, it is very lush and full of beautiful tropical plants. We are looking forward to seeing more of it today and may even tour some places tomorrow or Friday.

Tanner and I have had a hard time with the currency, unsure of what is a good price, how much to tip etc. We even tipped with American money, but they didn't seem to mind.

In the Japaneese airport, I saw a couple of interesting things. Their garbage cans are one unit but are divided into sections marked paper, plastic, cans, and bottles. I thought it was a really great idea, but sadly wondered if Americans would take the time to separate their garbage. Also, I used the restroom and was surprised to find the toilets on the floor. Thankfully, their was a regular toilet which is what I chose to use. I am really enjoying learning about other cultures and people groups.

Tomorrow should be an easier day for both you and the kids as benchmarks will be over!! How is Oddie doing? Hopefully, he is not having accidents. Remember you can bring him to the house in the mornings. I can't wait to see what Ricky thinks of him as he really likes dogs.

Dad, my hairdryer worked with the adaptor, though with less power. You know what my hair looks like if I can't wash it, so I was very thankful. The water is luke warm and is hard like ours so easy to rinse. I can't believe I am on the other side of the world, I need somebody to pinch me to assure me its real!

Everyone who adopts says that when you finally get to the end of the journey, you forget about all of the ups and downs. I don't know that I will forget because I see how God used each step of the way to prepare us, but it definitely makes it all worth while.

Tanner and I love all of you and are so thankful that you can continue to be a part of our process through this blog.

In His grip,
Steph