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Friday, December 5, 2008

Travel Update

I thought I would put up a brief update about how plans are going. I don't expect to get too much blogging done the next few days. Things here are hitting the frenzied stage.

We booked our flights- with only 6 days notice during the holidays we couldn't get seats together. The airline said we were lucky to get tickets. We may face a 13 hour flight with a 10 month old baby who is still reeling from her new environment, and not be able to sit together. Here's hoping some soul will take pity on us.

We still have a major trip to the pharmacy for meds for Juliana. I am hoping her prescriptions come today as well.

We have suitcases pulled out and lots of stuff gathered on the guest room bed. I still don't see how we are going to get all the gifts for the officials, the medicine cabinet, baby paraphernalia (clothes, blankets, bottles, formula, etc.), cold weather clothes for Beijing, warm weather clothes for Guangzhou, a mountain of paperwork, and the various electronics we need to stay in touch with the girls in two suitcases. This would be fine if we could stuff our big suitcases, but our flights in China are really strict about the suitcases only weighing 44 lbs. After a few test runs with only part of our things, it is amazing how little will fit to keep it under that weight.

I am also dealing with sadness about leaving the girls. I know they are in perfectly capable hands. Our family and friends have been very good to us. I am just sad not to see their faces each morning. I have never left them overnight (hospital stays excluded) and the thought of being gone 2 weeks...

Thankfully, I found some reassurance from a BTDT (been there done that) Mom. I am glad I took the time to reconnect with this old friend. I am also glad I had the opportunity to see first hand how well her kids did when they made their adoption journey. She told me 3 days after I return, it will seem as though we were never gone. I am thinking that Mass on Christmas morning with our family together again is really going to be amazing.

Please keep us in your prayers.

4 comments:

Kim H. said...

Awww honey, it'll all be okay. We will all be praying you through your journey, and the end result will put all this scarry stuff behind you.

And you know if you need someone to help keep your blog diary going, I'm on it. :)

We're so excited for you all and cannot wait to meet this newest family member. Just keep remembering that our dear Lord has you ALL in the palm of HIS hand.

love you all.

Charlotte (WaltzingM) said...

Thank you so much for sharing this amazing journey with us. I am getting chills just thinking of your family all together at Christmas Mass! God's speed!

Unknown said...

I am so excited for you! I am with Kim-we will be praying, praying, praying!

Anonymous said...

Must come out of lurkdom. I totally get the sadness of leaving the girls behind. I was gone for 6(non-consecutive) weeks when my mom got sick. I didn't know what was worse, leaving the kids or leaving my mom (it all evened out lol). The joy of coming back with a bigger family, a gaggle of girls to boot, has Merry Christmas written all over it :-) Safe travels to both of you. We're praying!