The Forbidden City is unbelievably huge and the architecture and detail is beautiful beyond words. Everything has to be repainted every 10 years due to the deterioration from pollution. It takes about 10 years to complete only to have to start repairing and painting over again. 

Matt waiting outside the entrance to The Forbidden City. (We were waiting for our guide to purchase the tickets) 

Just inside the first gate before entering The Forbidden City 

Photo of us together in Tiananmen Square just outside The Forbidden City, Beijing, China.

A soldier stationed just outside the Forbidden City 

Sign advertising the Beijing 2008 Olympics 

This is the building across the street from Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China.

I believe that this is the building where Chairman Mao's body lies and can be viewed by the public. We did not go into the building because we all had cameras and cameras were not allowed. 

Beijing, China - December 16, 2006 - View of Tiananmen Square after we got off of the tour bus. It was the most bitter cold I have ever felt. The good thing about the cold was that there were not thousands of people and it was not the melting heat of summer so we got some great pictures without so many people in the pictures. Our guide said that in the summer, it is usually so hot that people get very sick from the heat, so I would take the bitter cold any day. We walked quite a bit, so we managed to keep going through the cold bitter wind chill. This is the largest Square in the world.

December 16, 2006 - We were all loaded onto a tour bus en route to Tiananmen Square and The Forbidden City. Our guide, Cindy Wu, explained sights along the way and other historical facts about Beijing.

Christmas Decorations in the Hotel Lobby, Beijing, China 

December 16, 2006 - We got up very early to start our tours to the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and The Great Wall, but first we enjoyed a fantastic breakfast bar at 6:00 a.m.

View of the Bathroom at the hotel in Beijing. Everything was very nice. 

December 15, 2006 - This is a picture of our hotel room at The Plaza Hotel in Beijing the night we arrived. We were very cozy together with 3 beds side-by-side, but we were so tired, it didn't matter.

December 15, 2006 - Picture of the flight schedule at the gate in Tokyo. (I took pictures of everything.) 

December 15, 2006 - View from the plane window as we approached the Tokyo - Narita Airport. It was a very long flight but we slept a lot so it didn't seem quite so long. 

December 14, 2006 - This is the back of the head of a guy that sat in front of us on the plane to Tokyo. We all got a good laugh out of it. He was a really cute guy, just bad hair, but he liked it so hey why not! 

December 14, 2006 - Screen at the gate in Minneapolis airport while we were waiting to board the next plane to Tokyo, Japan.  

December 14, 2006 - Another view out the window of our plane as we approach the St. Paul, Minneapolis airport.  

December 14, 2006 - View from the plane as we approach the St. Paul, Minneapolis airport.  

December 14, 2006 at 5:30 a.m. we are at the airport having checked all of the luggage, cleared Security and seated at the gate. Joe and Matt are anxiously waiting to board the plane.  

Thursday, December 14, 2006 - All the luggage is packed and ready to go. At 4:00 a.m. we are all anxiously waiting for the shuttle to pick us up and bring us to the airport where we board a plane for our 8:30 a.m. flight to St. Paul, Minneapolis then another to Tokyo, Japan and finally another to Beijing, China.

On Tuesday, December 12, 2006, we finished packing the last of the suitcases. Our beloved little Cannolli knew something was up and decided that he wanted to go, so he made sure he got in the suitcase in hopes that we would take him along.  

I am finally able to sit down to the computer for a short while because I have extra duties now which require much attention. On December 14, 2006 we boarded an airplane bound for China for the most incredible journey of our lifetime. The following posts will try to explain and show pictures, but nothing will ever come close to describing this incredible journey to our little Katherine. We have been blessed and our lives have been forever changed. Thank you all for following our journey and God Bless you all!