Tikvah turned eleven!

A highlight on our trip was Tikvah's eleventh birthday.  It was also the day of our appointment at the US Consulate.  Since this whole adoption adventure began, Tikvah has been saying that she wanted to get her little sisters on her birthday.  Well, we completed their paperwork to become American citizens on that day (effective upon entering the USA) so we are calling it close enough!

After our appointment we went to a nearby park.  While the little girls played on the playground, Tikvah played with her new hackey sack.

She chose Pizza Hut for our lunch and we got a stuffed crust.  They make it a little differently in China, with the stuffed part being almost a ball of cheese.  It was probably horrible for us, but it tasted pretty good!  Oh something else different was not finding bread sticks on the menu, but getting waffle fries as an appetizer!

After lunch Ethan took the Little Princesses back to play in the room while Tikvah and I ventured out to the department store on our own.  She got some little toy animals that she collects and we also found a REALLY good cake.

I had been told the desserts in China aren't ever as good as the ones here.  This one was better!  It was so, so rich with dark chocolate frosting in several layers - much like a torte - that one couldn't eat a very large piece of it.  The man at the bakery was so nice that he even thought to ask us if we needed candles, and he threw in those plus a server, plates and forks at no extra charge!

We had just finished our feast on this cake when our doorbell rang - yes this hotel had doorbells.  It was a hotel employee with a fantastical cake creation and a card from the manager of the hotel. 

Apparently when we checked in the staff took note from our passports that Tikvah would have a birthday during our stay.  We were so surprised at their thoughtfulness.  

In case you can't tell from the photo, there is a block of yellow cake under those decorated pieces of solid chocolate!  I'd say it was a memorable birthday.