Final Itinerary...

Wow...I cannot believe I am writing this post - our Final Itinerary!

Leave our house at 5:30 am headed for Nashville, TN

Leave Nashville at 10:17 am on Friday, June 1

Arrive Guangzhou at 10:35 pm on Saturday, June 2

June 3 - Free

June 4 - "Gotcha Day" at 2:30 pm and sign adoption agreement at Civil Affairs Building

June 5 - 9:00 am for adoption registration and notarization at Civil Affairs Building

June 6 - Pick up adoption certificate and apply for Anna's passport

June 7 - Go to local department stores for needed items

June 8 - Electronics Market (Carter & Jacob are excited about potential PS2 games)

June 9 - Medical and Photo for passport

June 10 - Visit Foshan Nanhai SWI, Anna's orphanage. Visit Yuban Hospital Clinic, place where Anna was found. Shop in Foshan for a keepsake for Anna. Back to Guangzhou that afternoon.

June 11 - Visit Six Banyan Temple

June 12 - Pick up Anna's passport

June 13 - 9:00 am Visa appt. at US Consulate

June 14 - 4:00 pm pick up Visa at US Consulate

June 15 - Leave Guangzhou at 8:20 am for HOME!!!!

We are so excited and just can't believe this is all really happening. There are tons of last minute details that have to be done. But we are used to last minute things, its the way we operate :-)

I have the majority of our packing done and tomorrow is Boy Day! We have just a couple of things to do in the morning unexpected, which threw Rodney's work schedule off and then tomorrow afternoon is going to be devoted to the boys. They are wanting to see Spiderman 3, eat out (I can only imagine we will be dining at McDonalds) and then maybe go play "something". I know they have bowling in mind, but I cannot imagine Parker holding it together in a bowling alley. We'll see.

Regardless, I want to spend some fun time with the boys before we leave. This is the hardest part about leaving...knowing that our 3 boys will be so far away. I don't know what I'll do without my Parker sugar, Carter hugs and Jacob hanging on my waist :-(

Trying to fill up with Carter, Jacob and Parker "lovin'" and sending love to my Anna.

Busy, Busy Day...

Wow! What a Friday!

Finally, we got a confirmed Consulate Appointment (CA) for Wednesday, June 13. We leave Friday, June 1, our "Gotcha" Day is Monday, June 4 and we will be coming home Friday, June 15.

I spent the ENTIRE day trying to get travel arrangements ironed out, working with our agency and our travel agent (who has been awesome so far), Sue Sorrells. We had to finalize our itinerary so that I could send that information along with our hotel and guide requests to the China travel agency. Plus, we were working against the clock regarding the upcoming 3 day weekend. Everything needed to be done yesterday.

It was so surreal to be looking over the details of Anna's itinerary to confirm her plane ticket home. We are so thankful that this time has finally arrived.

As well, our TA was delivered. The FINAL piece of paper. It arrived at our agency on Tuesday, but it was delivered to our house yesterday. This little piece of paper, along with a mountains of other papers will be traveling, very close to my person, with us to China to confirm that we are who we say we are, we have done what we were suppose to do, China has approved us to adopt, that Hai Zhi Yi is our daughter, we have permission from China to take her out of the country and permission from the United States to bring her home. VERY IMPORTANT PAPERS!!

So the next few days, I will be finishing up our needed shopping for travel, getting everything in order for us to be gone for 2 weeks and trying very hard to focus on my boys. We want to spend as much quality time with them as possible before we leave. We probably need it more than they do, as they are pretty excited about a "2 week sleep-over".

They will be staying with my mother and my mother-in-law primarily and then my sister and 2 sister-in-laws as back up. Thankfully, they all live close to us, get along, and are willing to help out. They will be staying at home some as well, mainly for Parker's sake. He is finally sleeping in his own bed and I really don't want to get him out of that habit.

Thrilled to be getting ready for travel and sending love to my Anna.

We Are Coming Baby Girl...

Every time I have gotten a call from our agency with good news about our process, there was always something going on. But of course, a family of 5, there is always something going on, adoption agency calling or not :-)

So, I wake up Tuesday morning, May 22, feeling really bad. Parker and I have been sick for over 3 days now with some sort of coughing, congested, sinus junk going on. The schools are out because of elections in the state...however, my son, Carter has a field trip for conduct reward at his school. So I get up earlier than normal to get ready to take him to school, because after I drop him off, I am suppose to come home, get Parker and Jacob ready to go to my mother-in-law's work where they are having me a shower (so sweet - thank you ladies!) Then I have to go the bank and run to Wal-Mart to pick up a few items. Oh, did I mention it was also Carter's birthday?!?

We finally get to Wal-Mart and get inside and I decide to go ahead and pick up a few of the OTC meds we were going to be taking with us to China. While we were in the pharmacy section of the store, Parker is just showing himself...screaming, getting items out of the back of the shopping cart and throwing them on the floor - a real terror, however, I attribute it to him not feeling well and being spoiled absolutely rotten! I am trying to compare prices, because I am cheap-o, and my cell phone rings. It is our agency...we got our TA!!! I was so excited, my heart was pounding, I started crying, Parker throws another bottle of something in the floor, and Jacob backs into a rack on the end of the isle and razors are strewn across the floor. We were attracting quite a bit of attention and anyone that knows me - I hate public attention - especially public negative attention! But honestly, I really didn't care too much...I was so excited.

Our agency is trying to get a CA for 6/13 which would put us leaving on 6/1 - 9 days from now! They got some confirmed appointments today for those needing appointments on 6/18, so hopefully she will hear about ours tomorrow so we can start booking our plane tickets and hotel accommodations. I really don't want to have to wait all weekend long and try to get tickets on Monday for Friday! But it will work out as it should. Everything else has worked out perfectly and I expect the same for this.

I cannot express in words the emotions that I am having. I know Anna is our daughter, I know she is in China, I know that we have been approved to adopt her, I know that God has been in this whole process and I know that we are leaving very very very soon...but the reality of me getting on a plane, flying half across the world, landing in China, and finally holding my daughter - I just can't imagine. Rodney and I are both elated and the boys are just tickled...pink!

This really is the best time for us to be traveling. The boys got out of school today and we have a whole week together before we leave for China. My parents will be back in town Saturday night, so they have a week to rest up before they will be needed for watching the boys. And then when we return, we will have the rest of the summer break to spend with our 4 beautiful children!!! I love saying "4" children.

I can never thank God enough for what He has done for us. He lead us to adoption, He prepared the path, He walked us through obstacles, He moved mountains, He comforted us when we were struggling, He provided when it was needed, He is protecting her as she waits...I have to give Him praise for all He has done. Even though I would have loved for Anna to have been home with us back in November, this process has taught me so much and I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to walk this road and to be able to love this little girl as my own.

Thrilled beyond words and sending love to my Anna.

Happy Birthday Carter...

It is so hard to believe that I have a child 10 years old! Wow! I don't feel old enough to have a kids that old...but I am that old :-)

Carter was my first born son. We have had many firsts together. He was born with a birth defect that required immediate surgery the day he was born. I was only 21 and scared to death! But God was with us and Carter is a "normal" 10 year old boy.

I am so blessed to have Carter as my child. He is bright, funny, quick witted, caring, and just an all around wonderful son. Happy Birthday my baby boy!

Thankful for my first son and sending love to my first daughter.

TA Is Here, TA Is Here...

I will re-do this post later because I am having to leave to pick up my Birthday Boy, Carter from his field trip, but we did get our TA today...We are planning on leaving 6/1, next Friday, hopefully Gotcha Day 6/3, Consulate Appointment on 6/13 and hopefully be home on 6/14...we are thrilled.

So happy, excited beyond words and sending love to my Anna. WE ARE COMING BABY GIRL!

No News Today...

There was a lot of activity on other boards today with people receiving their TAs...but no news for CHI today :-( Hopefully we will hear something tomorrow or at least by Wednesday.

There is still a lot to do in order to get ready for travel, so even though I am more than overly anxious to get TA, there is still a lot that has to be done. I still have to do some shopping in order to get us ready to travel. My list is ready, but I haven't got everything checked off just yet.

Hoping to post good news soon and sending love to my Anna.

Great Weekend...

We had an awesome opportunity to be a host family this weekend at Barren Heights Retreat Center. Barren Heights is a "camp" like retreat facility for families with special need children. The retreat is totally free to the guest families. It allows the families time to relax, enjoy and play with their children, have some personal time for the moms and dads, and gives host families a chance to serve guest families and express the love of Christ.

Barren Heights was an inspired dream of a couple that have worked, prayed and sacrificed in order to provide a mini-vacation to families who might not otherwise be able to escape. Families with special need children are faced with obstacles in order to do anything. I have been witness to the beginning of their dream and seen it come to a reality. It truly is an amazing place and we were so honored to be a part.

There were times that I really had to focus in order to not get emotionally upset. These families who love their children, just like I love mine, who see their children suffering everyday. Whether physically or mentally, they just want the best for their children. They have problems like every other family, but they are compounded by other issues their children are facing. That made me sad. But then, to see the courage and determination of the parents and to hear the dreams of the children, I was inspired.

I enjoyed every single second of my time and loved watching my boys interacting and helping. Jacob had sweeping duties on the basketball and tennis courts and Carter was the garbage man of the pavilion. They did their jobs, sometime having to be reminded, but they did them. They didn't complain and they were able to experience first hand how good it feels to help others. Plus, helping others isn't a chore...they had a blast! They enjoyed all the kids there. Carter actually told me that it was the best weekend he had ever had.

In the future, I hope that we will be able to host again. It was a weekend I will not soon forget. www.barrenheights.com

Reminded of my blessings and sending love to my Anna.