Our blog for the trip

http://www.myadoptionwebsite.com/leahgrace/index.htm

Here is the link for our blog for the trip to China. I won't be updating this blog until after we get home. So follow us through the journey at:
http://www.myadoptionwebsite.com/leahgrace/index.htm

This is it!!!!!

It's the week we have been waiting a year for! We leave Friday morning at 7:30. Our neighbor/best friend Rodney is taking us to the airport. Words can not describe how excited we are to meet our baby girl. It's been four months since we have seen her face, so I can't imagine how much she has changed in that time. Her birthday is tomorrow. We are sad not to be with her, but it helps knowing we are leaving this week and will be holding her in our arms very soon.

A week from today

A week from today we will be in the air. We leave Louisville at 7:30 am, fly to Chicago, then leave around 11:00 to fly to Seoul Korea.
I'm so excited, I'm still in shock that we will be leaving in days now.
I do feel the tug starting on my heart when I think of leaving Jenna for so many days. It makes me feel panicky and sick to my stomach. I of course have to wear my momma brave face that it won't be that long that we are apart so that she doesn't start with anxeity of being apart from us.
Truth of the matter is not only does she suffer with separation anxeity so do I from her. Our hearts are so connected that it is almost unbearable to think of being away from her and that far away for so long.
Being a mom is tough, you are needed by so many people in so many ways, but I wouldn't change it for the world. It's my most cherished part of my life. I know how lucky I am to be the mom of my four kids. Now Leah Grace is needing me to come get her and bring her home to her forever family and I know my wonderful mom will step in and take excellent care of my babies.
I'm also lucky to have such great parents. I hope one day my kids will look at me and feel the same love and devotion my parents give to me.

Final Travel Meeting is done

We had our final travel meeting on Tuesday, just to go over some last minute things. I felt like a pro, everything he went over we had done before on Jenna's journey, so it wasn't new to me. Mike from AHH is great and does a great job and we appreciate all his hard work.

We will be leaving a week from tomorrow and we still have a lot to do to get ready. We are so excited to bring Leah home to meet her family and friends.

10 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!

We are down to 10 days.. So excited and ready to go. Leah's bag is pacled and we are working on Scott's and my bag to get it under the weight limit of 44 pounds!

We leave next Friday, I still can't believe it.

16 days and counting!!!

Soon we will be holding little Leah in our arms. I can hardly believe it that we are 16 days away from going. Things are so different for me this time from Jenna's adoption. I remember being so scared before we left. Scared of all the unknowns and a private fear of what if they give me this little girl and we don't bond. I loved her through a picture, that's all we had and secretly I worried would I feel don't feel an instant love for her when I saw her. I didn't want to tell anyone, afraid of what they may say, since we invested so much time in her adoption, I thought they would think less of me for being worried about that, I didn't even tell Scott. A few weeks ago I finally told me that I had felt that way and he admitted he did to but was scared to say it out loud to me.
But when Jenna walked into the hotel lobby that day, my heart swelled 100 times it's normal size, I touched her little hand and my fears escaped my body, she was my daughter in every way. Just as if I had given birth to her and they were placing her in my arms for the first time, God was handing her over to me and placing her in a very special place in my heart.

This trip I feel relaxed, knowing no matter happens, if we miss a plane, we will make it to China! I will never run for another airplane, they won't wait for you and even if you end up in the Netherlands, we will make it to China one day! I know and can't wait for God to hand Leah over to me and she also have a very special place in my heart, just as he did with Jenna. I look forward to watching her blossom in front of our eyes, if you haven't adopted, watching this shy, scared and timid child begin to trust, emerge and love is an amazing miracle to witness.

We will eat new things, be more adventurous, and soak up every experience we can. Yes we will become home sick and miss our three kids more then words can describe, but we will also embrace the journey and miracle God has entrusted to us.

We are coming Leah Grace..

Our China schedule is here

November 5th-arrive in Guangzhou (China Marriott Hotel) at 11:30pm

November 6th- Free day to relax and recover

November 7th- GOTCHA FOREVER FAMILY DAY- Meet Leah at 2:30pm

November 8th-Go to Civil Affairs office to finalize adoption

November 9th- Apply for Leah's passport- Free in Afternoon

November 10th- Visit Family Chen's Temple and Yuntai Garden

November 11th- Local Park and Nan Yue King's Temple

November 12th- Medical exam for Leah

November 13th- Shamian Island for church service and go to Pearl whole sale market

November 14th- Review Leah's TB test then go to Safari Park

November 15th- Free Day

November 16th- US Consulate appointment to make Leah an US citizen!

November 17th- Leah's Visa gets pick up, check out hotel at 4:00pm, Leave to come home 12:30 pm

November 18th- ARRIVE HOME 1:50 pm…….

Our quote was about $1000 more than what we had exspected :( but I'm trying to focus on we are going to China to get our baby girl. Need some miracles from Heaven to help us come up with $1000 more in 3 weeks.

Our Flights

1. Final travel schedule:
11/4 UA3448 departs Louisville at 7:30 am, arrives Chicago at 7:50 am (seat: 11A/C)
11/4 OZ235 departs Chicago at 12:00 noon, arrives Seoul at 3:50 pm on 11/5 (seat: 18J/K)
11/5 OZ355 departs Seoul at 8:40 pm, arrives Guangzhou at 11:30 pm (seat: 23B/C)
11/18 OZ356 departs Guangzhou at 12:30 am, arrives Seoul at 4:40 am
11/18 OZ236 departs Seoul at 11:00 am, arrives Chicago at 8:35 am (seat: 39E/G)
11/18 UA5818 departs Chicago at 11:35 am, arrives Louisville at 1:49 pm (seat: 8B/C)

We hope to see our friends and family at the airport when we land. Yes it's 1:50 pm on a Friday, but it's Friday! Leave work a little early and come welcome us home. Jenna's arrival had around 50 people there and it was great, I hope people will do the same for Leah!

We have our airplane tickets

Yippee, we have tickets. We leave November 4th at 7:30 am and come home November 18th at 1:49 pm, flight number UA5818

Please come see us at the airport!!!

We have our dates!

We will leave November 4th and our Consulate Date is November 16th.
I hope today we will find out how much our airfare and hotel room rates are.
Our wonderful guide Alison emailed me and said she did reserve us a hotel room. I hope it's still the China hotel Marriott, I've emailed her back to check. But as long as we get Leah that is all that really matters.
YIPPEE, we are going to China!!!!

Oh yeah we are going to China

Our TA has arrived and as of right now looks like we will leave November 4th and get Leah November 7th then come homeNovember 18th. We will have these dates in stone next Monday or Tuesday when China opens back up from their long holiday. Now we are saying prayers for the Consulate date to be confirmed for November 15th, that our guides can find us nice but reasonable hotel rooms and for cheap airfare. As long as the airfare and hotel are not more then what we planned in we are about $700.00 away from waht we need.
Did I mention we leave ONE month from tomorrow!! We are coming Leah Grace. :)

Will we get the call today?

After a nice relaxing adult weekend, probably one of the last before we get Leah, we could get the call today that our TA has arrived! If it does come looks like we could fly out of here November 3rd, one month from today!!

I will let you know as soon as I hear something.