What to Take on the Plane

You should have seen us in the bookstore yesterday trying to find something that appealed to read that wasn't faith-based (or looked like it!) or revolutionary (or looked like it!), or a banned classic, but was long enough to occupy us for 24 hours on a plane. What a challenge. G was with us while we searched and searched and finally with an exasperated sigh said, "All this work makes me need a latte!"

lol!

Waiting for May

We were given a wonderful little book about a family going through the adoption process: "Waiting for May." It's told from the pov of a little boy who is waiting to get a "mei mei," or "little sister" via an adoption from China.

G LOVES to listen to the story. And we love to read it. It is a very accurate description of the whole process--except the little boy in the book actually gets to GO to China; sorry, G.

I have not read it once without tearing up. I just can't wait to meet G.'s Mei Mei.

---R

Fun With Time Zones

Twelve hours ago it was now in China. (EST)

--R

A Miracle?

So now that the important details of our travel have been determined - our visas in place, our itinerary planned, our paperwork completed - I have turned my attention to the last crucial thing...what should I WEAR?

Men, you are snickering. I can hear you through cyber space. But when you can take only four outfits for two and half weeks and the clothes must accomodate any kind of weather AND work with the same pair of shoes, it calls for a minor miracle. (Come on women, stand with me here!)

So...I've been praying about it. Praying about it?! Yes. For awhile now. Through fastidious thought I mentally compiled my clothes...I'm in pretty good shaped, EXCEPT that to pull it off, I need an all-purpose, matches everything, slightly nicer than regular black zip-up sweatshirt and a new pair of jeans. (R knows not to even SIGH anymore.)

The problem? Well, aside from the fact that shopping for jeans is ONLY worse than shopping for a swimming suit, we have no cash left for anything other than milk and bread. Adoption is expensive! So, I up my prayers and I wait.

And I wait.

"Lord, will you be sending the jeans in mail?" (That would be TOO cool - I hate hopping up and down in the dressing room!)

"Lord, will you send a gift card?" (It happens.)

"Lord, how about a REALLY good coupon?" (Not at all exciting, but still helpful.)

We leave soon. Yesterday I decide it's time to put my faith into action. I pray, asking God to help me find something that works while honoring our family budget (and my husband who has made me swear on all thing Starbucks that I will NOT overspend at least until Christmas).

I drive to the local grocery store to pick up yet another bunch of bananas, milk, and bread (Mom, just SLEEP at Stop and Shop while you're here watching the boys. It's easier!). As I pull in, my eyes are drawn to our local consignment shop. Ah...you can see where I'm going with this...

I walk in - and YES! They have a petites section! Hurriedly, I find it and what do my eyes spy FIRST? A black, soft, zip-up sweatshirt! I squeal. Price? $4! Thinking this is obviously the hand of God, I rush to find jeans....I see them right away...my size in petites and never worn! Price? $10! I am beyond excited!

Last night, I share my story with R. I am determined to testify to God's goodness. He really cares! He really listens! He can accomplish anything! I finish, look at my hubby and grin. He takes it all in and smiles back. Then he says, "This really teaches us something." His smile turns sarcastic and he finishes, "You need to pray about bigger things!" I smile back and say, "Obviously, you've never shopped for jeans! This is nothing short of miraculous!" :-)

Hard Time Sleeping

For a good week after we got our travel dates, we just couldn't put together a good night of sleep.
One night, I woke up at 1:30am and couldn't fall back to sleep for a good two hours.

Another night, it was J's turn to wake us both up. All the other nights were filled with fitful dreams of travel and adoption.

You've perhaps heard of weird "pregnancy dreams?" These were like that. Really bizarre.
Thankfully, we've finally put a night or two together of decent sleep again.

I described my own feeling to J and others like this: It's like a wild mix between the excitement of a kid on Christmas Eve and the horror of one who has a final exam at 8:00am for which he's never studied.

Travel Itinerary

For those of you interested in what a trip to adopt a precious peanut from China looks like...here's the itinerary we received from our agency today:

9/7 Leave U.S. for Beijing at 6 AM (Thanks, Ron and Maria for getting up with the roosters to take us to the airport!)

9/8 Arrive in Beijing after 24 hours of travel (will our eye masks, ear plugs, and sleeping aids work??)

9/9 Beijing tour - The Great Wall!

9/10 Leave Beijing for Changsha (the capital of Hunan)

9/11 Gotcha Day! We will meet little M for the first time!

9/12 Go to the Registration Office for Adoption Registration and Notarization.

9/13 Mid-Autumn Festival (most things will be shut down - but supposedly fantastic fireworks!)

9/15 Trip to the local department store. Free time. Rest, tour, shop.

9/16 Optional half day city tour to the Martyr’s Park in the morning. (Will this be M’s first park outing EVER?)

9/17 Visit Embroidery Factory in the morning. (Mimi, we’re thinking of you!)

9/18 Free time. Rest, tour, shop.

9/19 Leave Changsha for Guangzhou (This is a beautiful port city where we will finalize our adoptions and obtain a US visa for M. We hear there's also a Starbucks here...I think by then we'll need a taste of home!)

9/20 Your child’s visa physical exam and visa photo are today.

9/21 Free time. Rest, shop, tour.

9/22 Consulate appointment.

9/23 Go with to the U.S. Consulate to take the oath in the afternoon.

9/24 Time to go home! Depart for home via Tokyo and Minneapolis.

9/25 7:00 P.M. Arrive in CT exhausted and ready (Yeah, right!) to care for three busy boys!

Let Me Hear You Say VISA!

We have VISAS! After prayers from all over the United States, we finally have a visa for both of us. We are so excited that we're filled with butterflies! We're actually going! Thank you, prayer warriors!

Today we received another update about our precious peanut. It says she LOVES to listen to music. (How happy do you think J is?) It also says she LOVES snacks. (Watch out, boys!)

Olympics: Surreal

For most of this adoption journey, we've assumed we'd fly into Hong Kong. For the whole first week of the Olympics in fact, Beijing was a place far north of where we'd travel. It was still amazing to see. Our daughter lives in THAT country! Every little girl at the opening ceremonies provided a jolt: WE have a little girl hundreds of miles south of there!

On Tuesday, Beijing became a stop on our journey. Lord willing, we'll actually land in Beijing exactly one month after those opening ceremonies. Amazing! As we watched the closing ceremonies tonight, it was hard not to marvel--"we'll be THERE!"