A Surprise Update!

We were so surprised to get a surprise gift of two new fresh off the press pics of our darling new girl!! It is fabulous to see her smile.... sad because now we know for sure that she was taken from her nice stable foster family and returned to the orphanage to await our arrival. I don't know how much she knows.. or understands. It is sad that this happens, but I understand on some level. I disagree so many ways..

We are getting me packed and I am so done getting ready!! I need gloves and some new PJs.. and I am good to go! I nearly bust out crying every couple of minutes because I feel so blessed to have the two I do - Who could dream such great kids as EFP & EBB.. and now another. And in less than 10 days I will be holding my new daughter.. just the thought gets me weepy - with happiness. But also sadness... she will lose so much in order to gain a wacky family.. a Mommy who loves her to pieces already, a sister and brother who are beside themselves waiting for her.. a Daddy who is more then ready to wait on yet another Empress and a whole bunch of Aunts, Uncles and Honorary Aunties.. who are likewise waiting to accept this precious girl into our family. I sure had no idea 12 years ago when Imperial Daddy and I were married - that we would build a family that would be so beautiful.. so happy and so very thankful!!

6 Days until Beijing!!!!!

Countdown to #3

And awaaaaay we go!! I have airline tickets.. I almost have short tour in Beijing (to get acclimated to the time etc) and we know when we will likely meet our new family member and when our consulate appointment is..

Leave NY on 12/1 Arrive Beijing 12/2
Novotel Peace Beijing
Tour - Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven. Tiananmen Square and Tea Show

EAT PEKING DUCK IN PEKING!!!

Leave Bejing on 12/5 for GuangZhou (Maybe meet new Empress?)
12/6 Family Day (Woo Hoo!)
Garden Hotel
Consulate appointment 12/15 - Swearing in 12/17

Leave Guangzhou  12/18 arrive NY 12/18 YEA!!

I will be blogging and on skype.. I will be missing my chillies.. and trying soak up all I can of this last adoption trip. It may be a few years before we take our family heritage trip.. so I want to remember everything!!

Now - to get everything done at work, shop for the things I totally forgot to buy for the trip, find my darn space bags, make a list of things to buy there.. and PACK PACK PACK... hug my chillies A LOT!!

So that is my update!

Homestretch or NOT!

This was my post: 

It has been the usual roller coaster these past few weeks... first a holiday interfered with the last steps of our Hague Visa process... then for some inexplicable reason we were asked (as were all parents waiting for TA) to provide an original of a document that we actually provided a year ago - our Letter of Intent to Adopt this specific child. FEDEX promptly lost it for 3 days. So here we are in the final stretch and we don't know if we will actually get our travel approval with our group or not. Infuriating!!  There are always problems, things never go according to plan (for me anyway) and this has one more indication that in spite of all my best efforts, if something can go wrong - something will.  The loss of the 3 days meant our "NEW" Letter of Intent did not get to Portland, OR in time to head to China with the rest of the families' paperwork ours got there a couple days later. So now we are (once again!) in the unhappy position of literally not knowing until they open the DHL (whenever it arrives) if our Travel Invitation is in the bag.  The clock is ticking and I have no idea whether I will be flying on 12/1 or having to delay travel till sometime after the new year. FRUSTRATING beyond what I can handle by myself. 

Some of the things I have noticed lately - is that my patience is wearing thinner than usual with bureaucracy of all kinds. I am still waiting to hear an apology from FEDEX.

This IS my post:

WE GOT TA!!!!! I am leaving for China.. either 12/1 or 12/8!!!!! I am obviously hoping for 12/1!!!