Traveling companions

I'm trying to keep myself busy on Gotcha Day morning. The boys are still in bed (worn out from kung fu, apparently) and Molly's in the shower.

I got to thinking that for those die-hard readers, if there are any, who don't know us as well, I never really explained who we're traveling with.

Molly met Wen Ling in high school when she was in Taiwan running in an invitational cross country meet. They met at a shopping mall, became pen pals, and have been friends ever since - for twenty-four years they say. Molly visited Wen Ling and her family and Wen Ling came to the US before Molly and I knew each other. Molly and I went to Taiwan to visit them a couple of years after we were married.

Molly was very excited to tie in a visit to Taiwan with our adoption trip. Wen Ling lives outside of Taipei. She's married to Pei-ko, who works for the government, and has two girls, Ling Jia, 12, and Ling Jing, 3. Ling Jia had her first birthday the last time we were here.

Both Wen Ling and Ling Jia are traveling with us until we leave Zhengzhou on Friday, then they'll go home.

It's been great having them with us. Ling Jia and the boys are having a great time together, even with the language barrier, and Wen Ling has been a lifesaver - I think we've worn her out translating for us.