T Minus 9 days: we are down to single digits...

T Minus 10 days: Let's talk food...

To all my China AP amigas...

Please tell us your favorite restaurants in Guangzhou. We will be there 11 days since MeiMei is from Guangdong province. We are going to need a little variety with that many days of eating out. Ugh! Please share the good and the bad. Our tummies will thank you!

T Minus 11 days: She's makin a list & checkin it twice...

Imagine you were leaving home for 15 days and traveling to a place you have never been. What is the ONE THING you would never want to forget? Remember I have 44 pounds per suitcase. SBM--do not tell me to pack 10 pound weights and gym clothes. That is YOUR packing list, not mine.

Don't forget Day 12 ipod songs. My pal Rebekah suggested "God is Bigger than the Boogie Man" by the Veggie Tales. :-) Hehheh. Good one Rebekah. I've added it to the list. I'm sure it will make me laugh every time I hear it.

T Minus 12 days: Let's load the ipod...

I'm loading the ipod for our 15 day adventure. If you have song suggestions please post them here. Think happy--encouraging--praiseworthy--make you smile music. If it might make you tear up you can rest assured it will make me cry the ugly cry. I reserve the right to veto any sappy song. Go ahead. Help me with my playlist. It would make my day.

T Minus 13 days: Anxious...

13 days. 13 days. 13 days. Nothing more than that. Nothing revolutionary to say. Nothing mind boggling. Nothing awe inspiring. 13 days.

Overwhelmed. Ecstatic. Scared. Overjoyed. Nervous. Incredibly humbled. Anxious. What if she doesn't like us? What if she rejects me? What if she has undisclosed needs? What if we get lost? What if Wild Man and Little Miss need us and we can't get home quickly? What if... Grrrrr...why is there such a thing as "what if"?

Anxious. Why am I anxious? I know God is bigger than fear. Is fear really the lack of faith? Am I really brave enough to get on that plane? I tell Wild Man every day he is brave. Today's question: Am I? I don't know. He can protect our family. He can bring us home safely. He can comfort our hearts--all five of us--on opposite sides of the planet. He can heal her broken heart. I know He can. The part I struggle with is, "Will He?" Change is hard. I'm the type A-status quo-let's keep everything the same-kinda gal. I know I am not the only Mommy who might be alot a little anxious about 15 days away from home. Imagine it for a minute? Would you be a little anxious to be half a world away from 1/2 of your heart?

This morning I heard a new song released a few days ago. It was one of those "speaking directly to YOU" moments. I am BIG ENOUGH to be HERE and THERE, Mommy. I am. Believe it.

If you want to hear the new addition to my ipod go here and play the first song...The Words I Would Say

Three in the morning,
And I'm still awake,
So I picked up a pen and a page,
And I started writing,
Just what I'd say,
If we were face to face,
I'd tell you just what you mean to me,
I'd tell you these simple truths,

Be strong in the Lord and,
Never give up HOPE,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
Gods got His hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why your here,
Take your time and pray,
These are the words I would say

Last time we spoke,
You said you were hurting,
And I felt your pain in my heart,
I want to tell you,
That I keep on praying,
My love will find you where you are,
I know cause I've already been there,
So please hear these simple truths,

Don't live life in fear. My love will find you where you are. Never give up HOPE. How appropriate. HOPE. 13 days.

CONSULATE APPOINTMENT CONFIRMED!

We have a Consulate Appointment!!!!!!!!! We are confirmed for September 22 which means we will leave on September 9 and return September 24 as we had hoped. Now off to do 6000 things I need to do before I leave for CHINA!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! CHINA PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh I can not WAIT to get my hands on that little one.

MAY WE HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE?

Wild Man and Little Miss have some very exciting news to share... Now I know they do not look over the top excited but they were. It was well past their bedtime when I coerced them into holding signs that "spell AT backwards" as Wild Man pointed out. Turn that "AT" around and what do you have? Travel Approval! Travel Approval! Travel Approval! Our agency called tonight with the news! WE. ARE. GOING. TO. CHINA!!!!! We have to confirm our Consulate Appointment before we can make travel arrangements. If all goes as planned we will leave September 9th, meet MeiMei on the 14th, Consulate Appointment on the 22nd and fly home on the 24th. That means we leave for China in 16 days! Hold on MeiMei...three weeks from today we will become your forever family. Praise the Lord! WE. ARE. GOING. TO. CHINA!!!!!

A little Wild-man-ism...

WM: Dad, what year were you born?
Chief: 1978
WM: 1978! Hmmm...did you ever know Thomas Jefferson?

Go here...

read this. Now if that doesn't make you cry a bucket of tears you must be the Ice Queen. Have you ever thought about it? Entertained it? Considered it? If you have, maybe you should ask me what to do with the thought. Go ahead. Ask me. I dare you. I double dog dare you.

Another one bites the dust...

It has been 3.5 weeks since our Article 5 was signed. 63 days since LOSC. Still no Travel Approval. Every time the phone rings I feel like my heart is going to pound out of my chest. Is this it? {as she runs furiously to the caller id} Nope, it's _____(not my agency)_____. I may win the record for hitting refresh on RQ at least 1 million times before this is over. I wonder if she gives out awards for that? Anyway. Almost everything adoption related has happened on a Friday. Our referral. News of our PA. Our LOSC. Our NVC cable. Delivery of our Article 5 to CCAA. All on a Friday. I was hoping today was going to be a Friday repeat. Oh well. I guess I can stop now. It is 1:45 pm in New York. I'm sure DHL has already made their rounds without leaving behind our prized document. One more week down the tubes. Ugggggghhhhhhh! I know. I know. He is never late. He is never early. He is always right on time. Yes. I know. If you figure out the definition of "right on time", please let me know. I think it's Swahili for "back off woman--you'll get it when I want you to get it". In the meantime I'm off to take a nap. It's the only time my wheels aren't turning.

Two months since LOSC...

and we still do not have Travel Approval. 22 days since Article 5. 61 days since LOSC. What's the hold up? Great question. Apparently the very important person at C2A2 who needs to sign off on our Travel Approval has been out of the office. It is typical of every major government organization to have ONE PERSON IN THE ENTIRE OFFICE to sign important documents. You know--documents that are not just documents. They signify CHILDREN's LIVES!!! We knew VIP was out last week and assumed he would be back on Monday. Now we are not so sure. No one seems to know FOR CERTAIN if that is the case. So...what do I know? ABSOLUTELY. POSITIVELY. NOTHING. Still waiting on TA. Still waiting to make travel arrangements. Still waiting to see if we are going to make it on a plane by September 16. Still willing the phone to ring. Still praying for His perfect timing. With each day that passes, September 16 feels further and further out of our reach. This is a really really bad roller coaster. I want off. Now.

Ring phone. RING!

Can you see it???

My Craigslist diamond in the rough--$75...

My found-on-the-side-of-the-highway at a three item yard sale--10 smacks!...
You have to look past the dreadful colors. Can you see the hidden potential? More of Operation Jie Mei Hwa (beautiful sisters) coming soon...

United Airlines or Continental Airlines miles...

Request: If any of you happen to have United Airlines Mileage Plus miles or Continental One Pass miles and would be interested in transferring them to us we would welcome them with open arms (and a few shouts of joy). Two round trip tickets to China and a one way ticket for MeiMei are not pocket change so every little bit helps. If you have flown either airline in recent years you may have frequent flyer miles in your account that you are unaware. If you know us in real life, feel free to call anytime or email us here. I know this is a long shot but it never hurts to ask. :-)

Tropical Storm Goni...

Tropical Storm Goni is supposed to hit land near Hong Kong and Guangzhou in about 9 hours. It is the lowest rated tropical storm, but it still makes this Mommy a little nervous. Where Mei Mei lives is a ways inland, so it will most likely just be a tropical depression (less than 40 mile per hour winds) by the time it gets to her. You can follow along here. I’m praying anyway!