Today I received a call from the travel agency verifying what tours we wanted to take while in Beijing. Then later on we received an email from them with the invoice for all of the "in-China" travel -- hotels, air, transfers to/from airports, tours, travel insurance information. I will fax our completed forms to them tomorrow to get it all paid for.
Wow! I'll tell ya! NO ONE EVER ADOPTS BY ACCIDENT!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
17 Days to Go!
Last night we took a poll of Tony's family. We had a list of several names and told them to mark their favorite. Looks like "Lydia" received the most votes. "Mathilda" and "Hillary" tied with 2 votes and "Adeline", "Penelope", "Bernice", "Lucille", and "Leta" each received 1 vote. Hmmm....
We were at the CPA's office yesterday trying to help him finish up our taxes before we go. After I got done answering his questions for me and Tony was answering questions about the business, my mind wandered. It wandered to China and I thought, "I can't wait to buy her some shoes!"
Sitting in church today, listening to the music, my mind wandered again to China (it does that a lot right now!). I started thinking about WHAT things in our lives will change. We'll have a child who will be depending on us to feed and clothe and bathe her. She'll need comfort, education, medical attention, play. Today at church there were many children with their families in the service involved with the "Upwards" basketball program. Maybe she will want to play basketball or be a cheerleader! We'll take her to Sunday School and Bible School. Will she want to take dance lessons, piano lessons (I hope!), be in theatre, drag race? Only God knows what she will like and do with her life. Our job will be to love her, guide her and support her along the way -- whatever she ends up doing -- which is, I'm sure, what all parents plan for their children.
We were at the CPA's office yesterday trying to help him finish up our taxes before we go. After I got done answering his questions for me and Tony was answering questions about the business, my mind wandered. It wandered to China and I thought, "I can't wait to buy her some shoes!"
Sitting in church today, listening to the music, my mind wandered again to China (it does that a lot right now!). I started thinking about WHAT things in our lives will change. We'll have a child who will be depending on us to feed and clothe and bathe her. She'll need comfort, education, medical attention, play. Today at church there were many children with their families in the service involved with the "Upwards" basketball program. Maybe she will want to play basketball or be a cheerleader! We'll take her to Sunday School and Bible School. Will she want to take dance lessons, piano lessons (I hope!), be in theatre, drag race? Only God knows what she will like and do with her life. Our job will be to love her, guide her and support her along the way -- whatever she ends up doing -- which is, I'm sure, what all parents plan for their children.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Travel Packet
Today we received our Travel Packet which has the "Notice of Travelling to China for Adoption" document from the CCAA in it. It was issued on February 27, 2009. It also has more information and a check-list of things to make sure to take (paperwork). We also received Beibei's paper ticket from Hong Kong to Omaha.
We also received an email from Holt today letting us know that the hotel in Guangzhou has agreed to NOT double our rates for the last 3 nights which are the first 3 nights of the trade fair! This will save us about $500! Wow! That IS good news!
It's becoming reality! We'll be home 5 weeks from this Friday!
We also received an email from Holt today letting us know that the hotel in Guangzhou has agreed to NOT double our rates for the last 3 nights which are the first 3 nights of the trade fair! This will save us about $500! Wow! That IS good news!
It's becoming reality! We'll be home 5 weeks from this Friday!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
It's Official!
We have our TICKETS! We will receive Beibei's paper tickets tomorrow. Later this week we will receive our travel packet and soon after that we will know what our schedule will be inside China. I've asked about various tours so we'll be booking those soon. We plan on seeing the Great Wall (for sure!), Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven, TianAnMen Square and Forbidden City (I think this is what Holt will take us to after the orientation), and I've asked about a tour to see the Olympic venues. There are tours for that but we can't purchase tickets ahead of time so we'll make sure to get those there. I want to TOUCH the Water Cube!
We leave 3 weeks from tomorrow! We can't believe it's finally happening!
Maude. Another of my great grandmothers was Maude. And another one was Magdalena (Dad, that's what you were trying to think of today). So, maybe.... we haven't really settled on a name quite yet!
We leave 3 weeks from tomorrow! We can't believe it's finally happening!
Maude. Another of my great grandmothers was Maude. And another one was Magdalena (Dad, that's what you were trying to think of today). So, maybe.... we haven't really settled on a name quite yet!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Travel Dates and God's Timing
Today we received our travel dates! We have to be in Beijing by April 5. There will be an orientation with other Holt families on April 6 and an afternoon tour of Beijing. On April 7, we will go to our respective provinces and meet our child! April 7 will be "Gotcha Day"!
So, we will be flying out on April 1 to Beijing so that we can do some touring before the orientation. Then, once we are in our province, we will get to plant ourselves there until we leave. Other families going to other provinces will eventually get to Guangdong province, where we are, to finalize their adoptions along with us. We will probably be able to celebrate Easter together with our new children!
The adoptions will be finalized on April 16 (the day Beibei turns 16 months old!) and we will fly out on the morning of April 17 to Hong Kong and then on to Chicago and arrive in Omaha in the early evening!
So that, in a nutshell, is our trip. And the countdown begins.......
All along I've been saying that whenever we go to China, it will be the "right time". Well, this is definitely the RIGHT time for us to be going to China. We are going just in time to meet Beibei before she turns 16 months old. We will be able to see some of the chaos that is part of the International Trade Fair. It starts April 14th and we will leave on April 17th. (I believe it runs through the rest of April.) So we will have to pay the higher hotel prices for only about 3 nights. We have both been sick with colds so hopefully we won't be sick IN China. We should be over our colds before we go. We will get to celebrate our first major holiday with our new daughter and our new friends (the other families completing their adoptions at the same time). And going at the time we're going allows us to get in on some things here before we go (a meeting at Nebraska Children's Home on the 16th, a Christian comedian at our church [COME SEE JEFF ALLEN, March 19th at 7 pm, ONLY $10 to get in! BRING FRIENDS! @ St. Andrew's United Methodist Church, 15050 Maple], Tony's ETI for racing, a Matco sales meeting on the 28th...) and also allows time for Tony to work with his customers and give them plenty of notice of when we'll be gone. Granted, we would have gladly missed some of these things to go sooner but God knows what He's doing! We were meant to go to China at this time.
I know! Flossie! Flossie Pearl was my great grandmother's name! Isn't that a great name? Any comments?
So, we will be flying out on April 1 to Beijing so that we can do some touring before the orientation. Then, once we are in our province, we will get to plant ourselves there until we leave. Other families going to other provinces will eventually get to Guangdong province, where we are, to finalize their adoptions along with us. We will probably be able to celebrate Easter together with our new children!
The adoptions will be finalized on April 16 (the day Beibei turns 16 months old!) and we will fly out on the morning of April 17 to Hong Kong and then on to Chicago and arrive in Omaha in the early evening!
So that, in a nutshell, is our trip. And the countdown begins.......
All along I've been saying that whenever we go to China, it will be the "right time". Well, this is definitely the RIGHT time for us to be going to China. We are going just in time to meet Beibei before she turns 16 months old. We will be able to see some of the chaos that is part of the International Trade Fair. It starts April 14th and we will leave on April 17th. (I believe it runs through the rest of April.) So we will have to pay the higher hotel prices for only about 3 nights. We have both been sick with colds so hopefully we won't be sick IN China. We should be over our colds before we go. We will get to celebrate our first major holiday with our new daughter and our new friends (the other families completing their adoptions at the same time). And going at the time we're going allows us to get in on some things here before we go (a meeting at Nebraska Children's Home on the 16th, a Christian comedian at our church [COME SEE JEFF ALLEN, March 19th at 7 pm, ONLY $10 to get in! BRING FRIENDS! @ St. Andrew's United Methodist Church, 15050 Maple], Tony's ETI for racing, a Matco sales meeting on the 28th...) and also allows time for Tony to work with his customers and give them plenty of notice of when we'll be gone. Granted, we would have gladly missed some of these things to go sooner but God knows what He's doing! We were meant to go to China at this time.
I know! Flossie! Flossie Pearl was my great grandmother's name! Isn't that a great name? Any comments?
Friday, March 6, 2009
A Little Closer!
Today we received word that we will probably be going to China late March. Currently we have an appointment at the US Consulate for April 15. That will be where the adoption is finalized. We will receive confirmed dates probably on Monday so we aren't supposed to make any travel arrangements until we receive that word.
Or.... Hortense?
Or.... Hortense?
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Welcome Home from Columbia! AND Travel Approval!
We were privileged last night to be at the airport when our friends, Brad and Tammy, came home from Columbia with their three new sons! They had several family and friends there to meet them and the boys and Mia. They were all very tired but glad to be home.
Then, today, we received TA (Travel Approval)! Yeah! We don't have dates yet, though. Holt will get us an appointment at the US Consulate in Guangzhou which will then determine our travel dates. If everything works out like we want it to, we COULD be leaving in less than 2 weeks!
Keep watching the blog!
How about Gertrude? Does she look like a Gertrude?
Then, today, we received TA (Travel Approval)! Yeah! We don't have dates yet, though. Holt will get us an appointment at the US Consulate in Guangzhou which will then determine our travel dates. If everything works out like we want it to, we COULD be leaving in less than 2 weeks!
Keep watching the blog!
How about Gertrude? Does she look like a Gertrude?
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