2 DAYS

2 DAYS!!!!

Just 2 days until we board a plane and are on our way to China.

No words..

There really are no words to fully articulate the complex intensity of emotion we're feeling right now, and at the same time it's nearly impossible to completely process. I've said before that I won't be able to process any of it until we finally have him in our arms -- but really? I think it may take quite a bit longer than that. There are adoptive-parents that say they aren't able to fully process their adoption trip for months.

It's an odd experience to feel you know and love a little one so very much and have for months, yet in reality you don't know them at all. After-all they've lived without you and you without them for 2 1/2 years of their life (and on opposite sides of the earth to add). And they don't know you at all either -- they *may* have seen pictures of you, but ultimately when they meet you, you'll look funny, smell funny, and certainly sound funny to them. Essentially we're foreign strangers yet family all at the same time. Our paths have crossed only through the electromagnetic waves of the internet, a lengthy multi-bureaucratic process, a handful of pictures, and through mountain-high loads of paper. And now in 9 days our eyes and bodies will finally meet. Our heartbeats will rest yet fiercely beat against one another's; one heartbeat will be groaning to offer love, the other will be fearful and grieving. And our journey will start there, in a hotel room in a province along China's southeastern coast. It will be a journey to show as much love as we possibly can to him, to grieve with him, to show him what 'family' means, to show him what a mommy and daddy is, to make up for 2 1/2 years of lost time and with that means working on attachment and bonding that normally takes place from the moment a baby is born (even before). What a journey it will be. This adoption process has been a unique life-changing journey itself, but now the real one begins.

What we're doing now..

These are busy times! Did I mention to you that we're coordinating an out-of-state move (to occur after we're back from China)? But anyway, with homeschooling, numerous errands, tons of house-showings, an open house, two offers, inspections, and finally in contract - you'd think we'd be busy enough with all that!

I just began packing (for 5 including the baby!). Our bedrooms are torn up at the moment with all kinds of odds-and-ends laying on the floor ready to be packed -- I'm just trying to figure out the best way to pack it all. I keep reminding myself that nearly everything can be purchased there if it's forgotten. The main essentials we need to make sure we have are meds, cash, and travel documents.

We'll be 14 hours *ahead* of your time while in China (for those of you in EST). So, we will get him 2:30AM EST Sunday morning (4:30PM for us on Sunday).

Our in-country schedule::

Thursday; Nov.17: Fly to Beijing (6:30a to Detroit; 11:30a to Beijing)
Friday; Nov.18: Arrive around 4:30p in Beijing
Saturday; Nov.19: Tour Beijing (Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, etc)
Sunday; Nov.20: Early AM fly to his province; 4:30PM he will be brought to our hotel to meet us
Monday;Nov.21: Finalize adoption in Civil Affairs
Tuesday;Nov.22: Free day
Wednesday;Nov.23: Free day
Thursday; Nov.24: Free day
Friday; Nov.25: Fly to Guangzhou (Guangdong province)
Saturday; Nov.26: William's visa medical exam and visa paperwork check
Sunday; Nov.27: Free day
Monday; Nov.28: Visa medical report pick-up
Tuesday; Nov.29: Visa appointment/oath taking ceremony
Wednesday; Nov.30: Visa pick-up
Thursday; Dec.1: Fly home (Des Moines)!!!! We will arrive around 4:30p.

We will update as much as we can while we're there!

Please pray...

for the Lord to prepare little William's heart and mind.

for his health.

for his and ours transition and adjustment.

for safe travels.

the trip goes as smoothly as possible, and for our nerves to remain calm.

And I'm sure there is sooo much more I could ask you to pray for, but my brain is somewhat mush at the moment! Thank you for praying and being there for us.

So 2 days!!! Can you believe it?!!? WE'RE COMING SWEET BOY..!