Travel Website

The new website is up and running. Here is the link to direct you on your way! :-) Of course, there's not much on there yet, but feel free to click around and start exploring. We leave home on Tuesday, January 31.

Amazing, but true, our day has finally come.

Red Thread Kids Travel Website

For those faithfully hanging in there....

We have been so busy the last few days getting everything ready and coming to the sudden realization that we will be the parents of 3 children soon! We were already wondering how we will manage summer breaks, when we found out that the preschool program we want for Nicholas is only in session 3 hours a day.

As always, we will find a way! We have been led every step of this journey, and I don't expect that to change any time soon! :-)

I want to let everyone know that we will be posting to some different web pages for the duration of our travel. I will post the link here before we leave, but the new website will allow us to post not only pictures, but video as well. SO you can really follow our journey! We are excited beyond belief...only 17 more days till we begin!

The Dates....

Official Departure date from SFO : February 2, 2006
Arrive in Beijing on February 3, 2006
Rest on February 4, 2006
Tour on February 5, 2006 (Terracotta soldiers)
Tour on February 6, 2006 (Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square)
Fly to Province on February 7th- Gotcha day!
5 full business days- 2/7/06-2/13/06 (for China passport processing)
Fly to Guangzhou on February 14th- AC medical appointment
Guide takes visa paperwork to AC on Feb 15, 2006 at 9:30am
Visa Ceremony on February 16, 2006
Depart for Shanghai, China on February 17, 2006
Rest/Visit on February 18, 2006
Rest/Visit on February 19, 2006
Official Departure date from China: February 20, 2006

That's the situation as it stands now! I have been in a flurry of paperwork and I'm loving every minute of it! :-)

HURRAY HURRAY TA TA!!!!!!

It has arrived!!! We are in a whirlwind of paperwork, dates, and photocopies!

It looks like the agency will try for a 2/14 CA - which would put us in China about 2/4, but we'll go a few days early.

We should know the CA within 48 hours!!!!

Hang on Nicholas, we're almost there!!!

The Part Where I Pout

Can I just say, "IT'S NOT FAIR!!!"

I do completely understand and respect that China has a responsibility to it's children and finding them the best possible homes. I know that some agencies translate their files first, then log them in and mine does it the other way around. So there are all sorts of good, logical reasons.

But my DTC to LID was 26 days. People that sent their files 3 days earlier had their files logged in week earlier than mine.

Now, people who sent their files in 2 weeks after mine have gotten their Travel Approval, and I don't have mine. In fact, my agency updated me today that mine file is still in review.

I know that we will not get a consulate appointment until after the Chinese New Year. I think I've accepted that. Justin and I have decided it would be a treat to travel during CNY - a once in a lifetime experience despite many shops/sites potentially being closed.

Nicholas's birthday is in February. I wouldn't mind being in China during that time, but please let my gottcha date be no later than his birthday! I will drive my family and coworkers crazy if I am still at home in another month!!!

Day 71 and Counting

Still No TA. I'm very sad.

Happy New Year!!!

We are now on day 69 of the WAIT. I have been forbidden to say the "a" word (adoption) at home until January 10th. Hubby said he needed a break. LOL. I, on the other hand, am still obsessing over every little rumor.

We are now #10 on the big list of families adopting waiting children. Granted, this is only a yahoo group list, and there are probably a lot more families out there, but I have watched our names rise from the bottom to now the top 10, so it's a big deal to me!

The new rumor is that all October LID's are in the matching room. A family with a LID of 10/27 (one day after ours!) got their TA on 12/30. Our agency is closed today for the holiday...but I am praying that tomorrow holds good news.

Any news would be good at this point! :-)