One Tiny Little Word

Tomorrow.  Even saying that word gets my stomach in a million bagillion knots!  There is no way that it seems possible at all!  It's funny how for so long it seems like you are waiting forever...like five lifetimes for something, and then all of the sudden it's here.  Gah!  It's here!!!!  When I woke up this morning, my first thought was, "tomorrow at this exact same time, I will be on an airplane!"  Blows.my.mind.  Anyway, are we all set and ready to go?  Um, not quite, but we'll get there.  I got this crazy idea this time around to write individualized notes to the kids each day we are gone.  Sounded like an awesome idea before I started writing them.  Simple math would've told any sane person that 3 kiddos x 15 days = too many letters to write when you are trying to get ready to leave the country!!!  I still have to finish an entire weeks worth of letters to finish today.  I might be up all night!  So while we are talking about these three littles, please keep them in your prayers.  They have very mixed emotions about us being gone.  I know they will have a blast, and have a jam packed full schedule, but I'm still worried about them.  While you're at it, I suppose you could be praying for me too.  Just the thought of leaving them leaves a giant lump in my throat.

So what's on the agenda for us?  We will fly to Beijing and *hopefully* hit up the Great Wall this time.  If you recall from our previous journey to China, we never made it to the Wall due to flight delays.  Stinkin' flight delays!  We will hang out on an airplane for the Mister's birthday...yep, his birthday is Saturday!  Maybe I can get the flight attendants to sing Happy Birthday to him.  Ha!  We'll hang out in Beijing until Monday, and then we head to Xining, which is where will meet our little one on Tuesday!  Eeek!  Please be praying for her heart to be prepared to join our family as well.  Huge transitions are ahead for her, and she's too little to even understand what is going on.

The next post will be from China...most likely.  Unless I'm uber bored in the airport waiting on our connecting flight tomorrow! 

Sooooooo Close!!!!!

Bahhhhh!  I can't even hardly stand it!!!  So this week on Monday we had our Article 5 pickup, which if you don't know adoption terminology it will mean nothing to you :)  What WILL mean something is that we are now waiting for our TRAVEL APPROVAL!  Yes, we are simply waiting for China to say, "Come on over!'  Even writing that is just absolutely surreal!!!  Now, I'm not into bursting anyone's bubble, but here is where we might, (and hopefully don't!) hit a snafu.  See, the agency responsible for issuing these said travel approvals is currently doing an audit, which is causing a bit of a hiccup for more families than I would even care to think about right now.  What  does this mean for us???  Well, it means one of two things.  First option - We could get a rockstar fast TA in anywhere from 3-7 days, which of course is the option I would like to go with!  Second option - wait...and wait....and wait some more, with the approval most likely taking over 20 days to come.  Yes, yes, I know what you are thinking....20 DAYS...WHA?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Yes, my sentiments exactly!  So, we are praying. Of course selfishly praying for the first option, but also praying that we have peace in God's plan, acknowledging His plans are always perfect and that He knows when we should go to pick up our sweet girl!  Very much easier said than done, but we are working on it :)

Please be in prayer for us!  I brushed over a few minor, ok not so minor details, including the fact that there is a holiday the first Monday of April that would also impact a date we could meet our girl, and then there is also that pesky trade fair that happens in Guangzhou (aka the second city where we need to stay for at least 4-6 nights,) from mid-April through the first part of May that has a way of taking hotel prices and throwing them through the roof!  You know, no big deal, right? ;)  This momma's heart is also growing weary.  I want to see her, to hear her speak, to smell the smells of her hair, all of those things us moms like to do.  Our agency requested an update over a month and a half ago, and I've now succumbed to the fact that we won't be getting an update prior to traveling.  Praying that day that I can wrap my arms around that sweet little one comes soon!  Also please pray for our crew who will be staying at home.  They know the time is coming soon when we will be traveling, and they are not really excited about it...like AT ALL.  Please pray that their little hearts will be comforted, and that they will have a blast at home with all of those grandparents, aunts and uncles, and friends that they will get to hang out with while we are gone!