These are my final posts about our trip to Shanghai, China.

(Let me remind you that you can click on each picture in my blog to enlarge it for better viewing, should you want to.)

We spent from December 22nd to December 30th 2006 in Shanghai, and stayed at the new 59-story JW Marriott Hotel, the tall building in this picture. What a beautiful place! We are SO blessed to be able to stay at places such as this around the world using points that Phil has accumulated (because of his working away from home and staying in hotels while on engagements), rather than having to pay for our stays with dollars!

And we are also greatly blessed that, due to our extensive travel solely on United Air Lines, we are able to purchase "coach" tickets and upgrade at no cost to business class for these international (and domestic) trips!

How we thank God for the blessings that we regularly enjoy, and are able to share with others, because of Phil's abilities and the work he does as an invaluable employee as an IBM Senior Managing Consultant! We continue to be amazed at the joys of our life at this time in our marriage of almost 42 years, and we thank God for "gifting" us with all that we're able to do and the places we're able to go! We do not take it for granted, and our hearts feel a continued sense of thankfulness and gratitude for all these "good gifts."

View of People's Square from our hotel window.

Same view of People's Square at night.

Huge beautiful lotus blossom-like light fixtures we saw while out walking.

I took the above picture while we were at The Bund, the very famous area in Shanghai along the river where the historic and financial district is located. There's lots of water traffic on the Huangpu River -- including this boat with something I'll call a technitron that had ever-changing advertising. Even the Colonel and KFC showed up often!