What a Beautiful Girl!

We have Gracie!! She is beautiful and precious and wonderful! When she first laid eyes on us she screamed bloody murder! But after about 5 minutes the screaming had turned into keening. Very different from Lily as Gracie is old enough to actually be mourning her loss. But today she was up to all sorts of adventures, from riding in the stroller to shopping to eating strawberry ice cream. She has a wonderful appetite and will try most anything. She still isn't used to the concept of seconds! She took a three-hour nap and had two BM's, so she's right on track. Gracie is doing very well with the potty, only one accident and that was because we didn't pick up on the signals.
We are in the business office at the White Swan and will attempt to get some pictures for you. We are all well and happy and loving our new family!! Lily is feeling much better and is a great Jie Jie.

Today is the day!

We are here in Guangzhou and today at about 2 we will be meeting Gracie for the first time. We got some updated info yesterday and apparently she has gained 2 pounds and shrunk 5 inches!! Not sure what to expect.

Lily got sick on the flight from Tokyo to Beijing and was sick the whole next day. She missed the tour including the Great Wall. Very sad, but she and dad caught up on their sleep and Lily made out like a bandit in the gift department!!!

We will post pictures next of our new girl!!! Love to all.

At last!!

Tomorrow is the day! We are all ready here, except for some last minute laundry and checking the paperwork 40 more times(yes, I admit I have a problem!!!). We leave at 10:30 am and arrive in Beijing the following night at 9:30! Saying it that way makes it sound more dramatic!! Then a quick day of sightseeing before flying to Guangzhou on Sunday morning and Gotcha on Monday afternoon!

We will keep you posted on all the news and adventures. Pray for a safe and smooth journey for us. We can't wait to see you all again!!

Only 4 More Wake-ups!

The countdown has begun at our house. Each morning Lily tells me how many more times to wake up before we leave for China! We are pretty much packed now, with just the incidentals left to go in. Lily has decided she won't go trick-or-treating this year since we leave the next day. She will stay home and answer the door. She's never really been a big fan of the holiday anyway, except for the candy!

Lily has created her own blog for her classmates. They will be checking it at school, too! You can view it at lilygetsasister.blogspot.com.

The day is almost here! Pray for a safe and smooth journey for us!!!

All the Pieces are Here!

We received the last piece of the puzzle on Friday when we got our In-China itinerary. We now know our hotels, flight from Beijing to Guangzhou, and all the tours we will be going on. Now it feels real! We have most everything done for the trip and will focus on wrapping up loose ends here before we travel. It's going to be a great adventure for all of us, especially Lily! She will be taking lots of school work so she doesn't fall too far behind. And we will be creating her own blog so her classmates can follow her on her journey. I hope she is old enough to remember all this. What an experience!!! My thoughts are turning now to a little girl so far away. How much does she know about us? How will they prepare her? Is she excited, worried, scared? So many questions, but only two weeks until we hold her and tell her we love her! Not much longer, Baby!!!

Two Weeks From Today!

The time is quickly approaching! We will be on our way in just two weeks. On one hand it seems really soon, but on the other so far away. Just trying to stay busy and organized so it all comes together smoothly. Those of you who know me well know that I can get a little anal about being organized! When it comes to things like this I don't like surprises. I've checked our paperwork about twenty times just to make sure we have everything. And I will probably check it twenty more times before we go!

On another note, we finally have good news from Guatemala! My neice's adoption process there has finally started to make good progress. She got out of PGN last week, which means the adoption is FINAL!! Bella is now officially a member of this crazy family. Now they just need to deal with the Americans to bring that baby home! It is funny: After very long (mine) and difficult (hers) journeys, these two miracles will be coming home within days of each other!! Happy Thanksgiving to us all! Congrats and God bless to Sharon and Greg and their darling little family.

CA and travel dates!!

We got confirmation of our Consulate Appointment today, along with our schedule. We leave home on November 1, Gotcha Day will be November 5, our CA is November 15, and we return November 17!!! It is all very exciting. One month from now we will have our Gracie Girl! She is already packed, so now I'll start on the rest of us! Now, before you laugh, remember that I'm packing for summer weather, so it's clothes that we are no longer using, as Fall arrived here last week! It's really starting to feel real now, and the clock is ticking. In the meantime I have lots to keep me busy, including house guests, school committee meetings, and Halloween!!!