Tuesday, February 27, 2007
scary-close
it is tuesday evening.
we leave bright and early friday morning (7:45a).
it's almost time, and i think we're pretty much ready... we just need to throw the toothbrushes into the suitcase and we're off!
(isn't jade just about the cutest little girl of all time? i am not at all biased. hopefully she, father, trevor and trent get along ok in our absence... it will be interesting to see what things are like at home when we return!)
Sunday, February 18, 2007
year of the pig
happy chinese new year! today begins the year of the pig.
to celebrate in true style, enjoy some xi gua (watermelon, pictured above).
12 days till we leave- we're so close it's almost scary.
no, it is scary. in less than 2 weeks, we will be a family of seven.
Monday, February 12, 2007
the whole shpeel
here is the rest of our itinerary:
march 3 (saturday/pm): arrive in beijing, onto fuzhou, check into fuzhou hotel, collapse in a heap after 24+ hour travel day
march4 (sunday/pm): receive trace
march 5 (monday/am): to civil affairs to 'complete the adoption procedure' and then get it notarized
march 6 (tuesday) & march 7 (wednesday): touring/hang out in fuzhou (shopping?!)
march 8 (thursday/am): visit the fuzhou orphanage
march 9 (friday/pm): pick up trace's passport, and off to the airport. 1 hour 10 minute flight to guangzhou (nice practice run for the 13 hour flight...). to white swan hotel, go to bed on a 5 star slab of cement (known as a mattress in the orient. you who have been to china know what i'm talking about :)...)
march 10 (saturday/am): visa picture and medical for trace
march 11 (sunday/am): optional tour and free time
march 12 (monday): our coordinator submits trace's visa documents; optional touring
march 13 (tuesday/pm): group oath at the american counsulate
march 14 (wednesday/pm): off to guangzhou airport, to hong kong and finally to chicago! father will pick us up as we exit immigration/customs and then we will go home...
in a few short hours, we'll be down to 17 days till departure :)
(that's a picture of beijing above. i need more photographic diversions... besides china.)
Monday, February 05, 2007
new pictures!
just a few moments ago, we recieved an expected e-mail from our adoption coordinator with a very unexpected suprise tucked inside: two new pictures of trace!! they were taken january 31- incidentally, the day we got our ta. he looks so big!
25 days till depature!
Friday, February 02, 2007
fast!
today our itinerary arrived (already!?)! we are still waiting for the fuzhou-guangzhou part, but here's what we have so far:
(all times are local)
march 2- depart south bend (9:47a)
- arrive in chicago (9:35a-chicago time)
- depart chicago (12:42p)
march 3- arrive beijing (4:05p)
-depart beijing (7:55p)
-arrive fuzhou (10:30p)
can you say long day?!
march 11- depart fuzhou
- arrive guangzhou (white swan, here we come!)
march 14- depart guangzhou (2:25p)
-arrive hong kong (3:20p)
-depart hong kong (5:35p)
-depart hong kong (5:35p)
-arrive chicago (6:44p)
at this point, we clear immigration and then collapse!
(yes, that is another urumqi picture... a lovely pagoda in the middle of the gobi desert)
