Skype is so cool!

I have to say that I'm enjoying getting my family members to get onto Skype. We're going to use it while we're in China, and so I've been recruiting to get it downloaded with all of my 6 brothers and sisters to be able to possibly set up a conference call between all of us while we're there! How cool would that be?!

Skype is surprisingly easy. The only thing you need is a microphone and a speaker (or headset with both of these) for your computer. It's free to download and free to skype computer to computer! If you're interested in downloading it, just go to Skype.com and follow the directions!

DH, my Dad, and DB1 of my 4 brothers are now on Skype. I talked with DB3 last night, and he's going to download it. Can't wait to see his avitar!

Our itinerary

We have finally got our itinerary for in-China. Here's the plan:

Wednesday, July 25: Leave for Beijing (please pray that there will be space available in Business Class for us to make our flight!)

Thursday, July 26: Arrive in Beijing: Stay at the Temple of Heaven Holiday Inn Hotel

Friday, July 27: Meet up with the rest of our travel group (including my father, that's flying on a different flight and airline)

Saturday, July 28: Great Wall, Summer Palace, a jade place, and a pearl place

Sunday, July 29: Tien An Men Square, Forbidden City, an international church service; Leave for Chongqing

Sunday, July 29: Arrive Chongqing, JW Marriot Hotel

Monday, July 30: Grace's Gotcha Day at Civil Affairs Bureau!!!

Tuesday, July 31: Registration at Civil Affairs Bureau

Wednesday, August 1: Shopping

Thursday, August 2: Eling Park

Friday, August 3: A zoo (don't know which one)

Saturday, August 4: Flying Tiger Museum

Sunday, August 5: Sunday Service with our guide

Monday, August 6: Fly to Guangzhou, check into White Swan Hotel

Tuesday, August 7: Take passport photo for Grace; Travel group photo on the infamous red couch

Wednesday, August 8: River Cruise

Thursday, August 9: Swearing in at Consolate; train to Hong Kong;

We're on our own from Hong Kong on. We're going to try to catch a flight to the US on Thursday. Otherwise, we'll spend the night at an airport hotel and try to get back to the US on Friday. Here is where we need extra special prayers! Please pray that once we get to Hong Kong that we'll be able to get on a UAL flight to the US on either Thursday or Friday.

Of course, then we'll return to IN, get our other girls and head back to our home to adjust to being a family of 5!

Only 5 more days!

We leave for China in 5 days! I've got to start packing and make sure that I can fit everything we need into a carry-on bag and diaper bag. I'll be trying that out this weekend while DH is on a trip.

The girls are all set with our friends. DD2 will have a vacation, since she's going to Holiday World and Rhode Island while we're gone! DD1 will be much closer to home, down the street as a matter of fact. It's so nice to know that they'll be well taken care of while we're gone.

In the meantime, here are some pictures of our shower for Grace on Saturday! Everyone was so nice and supportive! It think it was a fun time for all of us, except DD1. She came down with the flu the night before and spent most all of the day in bed. By dinner time though, she was feeling much better. Thank you to all our family and friends!!!

Here's my WeeMee

DH and I were playing around with Skype tonight. We are going to use it while we're in China to call home. While we on Skype I saw WeeMee. I've seen other blogs that have a WeeMee on their blog, so I thought I'd try out making one for myself.

Here's my WeeMee

Does it look like me? HeeHee!

Now we have our passports!

It seems like everyday there's something new going with respect to getting ready for our trip to China. Today the FedExc package came with my dad and my passports and the travel letter. We have to take the Travel Approval letter with us to China, and of course we'll need our passports with our visa in them to be able to enter China.

So now all we're waiting for is our own in-China intinerary, but today our agency told us they can't quote us a price until they know our departure date and what hotel we're staying at before we join the group. They also need to know Grace's new American name. I'm not sure why they need that, but that's what he said. So DH is working on what to tell them. I really want to find out how much because I need to cash a check on our money market fund, and it will take 5 days for that check to clear. If I don't find out by Monday, I'll just guess on the high end and cash the check anyway. That's pretty much the last thing I need to do to get ready.

Well, that's not exactly true. I found some wicking shirts at Walmart, but one of them is too big. So I need to exchange it for a smaller size. So that's good. I also need to figure out what outfits to take for Grace. I actually only have one outfit that I could take. Hopefully, I'll have something more to choose from after this weekend. I'm hoping that my niece will bring the clothes she told me she had packed away from her daughter having outgrown them. That would be ideal.

So we're getting closer everyday!

Oh, one more thing. I weighed in at my WW meeting today. It's been two weeks since I weighed in and I was worried that I'd gained weight as I've been stressed. When I'm stressed I eat! Anyway, I weighed in, and surprisingly I haven't gained/lost anything. I'm exactly the same as I was two weeks ago. I should be upset about that, but I'm pretty happy because I haven't been doing a good job of following the program. Starting today, though, I'm going to get back on program.

We have our in-China itinerary, sort of

I just received an email from our agency travel guy. In it he says that he received everyone in our travel group's itinerary except ours. I suppose that's because we have a split group with my dad going over and coming back one way, and DH and I going another. Anyway, he did send us a copy of the other families' itineraries, so we could see what it looks like. According to their itineraries we are to get our babies on July 30 in the afternoon! So in about 2 1/2 weeks we will be seeing our little girl's face in person for the very first time! I can't tell you how this makes me feel. Goosepimpley, happy, excited, and scared all at the same time.

We still don't know how much it will cost to travel in China as our agency guy didn't include the cost in what he sent. It did include what is/is not included in the quote for in-China travel. But we should find that out shortly. We now know the name of the hotel that we'll be staying in Beijing, so DH can make reservations for us. It's the Zhongcheng Holiday Inn. I think that's the one that DH was looking at online the other night, but since he's traveling today, I can't ask him.

In the meantime, on another front, I signed the FMLA paperwork. I now am eligible to take up to 12 weeks of Family Leave from August 13, 2007 to August 13, 2008. Cool, huh?! I've never taken any FL, so this is a first for me. I don't intend to take too much because we can't afford it, but it sure is nice to know that Ican when I need to.

Things are quickly falling into place! Please continue to pray for us and for Grace, and thank you for doing so.

Please Pray!

Several people have asked me over the course of the last few weeks, if there is anything they can do to help. My answer to that question is, pray. Pray for Grace that her grieving is not too deep. Pray for her adjustment to be as easy as possible. Pray for us that we will know how to comfort her. Pray for our safe travel. Pray for Grace's orphanage mates, and for the caregivers and orpahange director. Pray that our girls will not miss us too much while we're gone. Pray that we won't miss our girls too much while we're gone! And give glory to God that we are able to do this adoption. It has been amazing, and I know it will continue to be an amazing journey!