double duty

We are definitely on the count down. Today is the 5th and we leave on the 13th. Our flight is at 6am and we live 1.5 hours from the airport, so my very kind brother in law is coming over at about 2am to take us to the airport, and then he has to drive back home by himself. Just one more thing for me to worry about between now and then. I am really trying to just turn it over but I am already having real anxiety. I am not a person who has anxiety.....but I found out with Taylor's adoption that I could be. The night before we left for him I thought I was going to lose my mind and then again the night before we got him. Now the day of, I was fine, but when I got to lay down and go to sleep....... So just praying again that I can allow myself to just let Him be in control and let Him take all this anxiety away.

I guess we are going to do a second journal of our travel over at journeytome.com. That is where we journaled for Taylor and what I like about it is, #1 it's free like blogging, but also at the end of the 'journey' you can buy a CD copy of your journal. So I want Rachel to have that CD one day, so I will do some posting over there too.

It is www.journeytome.com, then go to adoption stories, then Rachel Lian.

Intinerary

We just got our confirmed consulate appointment so I am working with our agency right now to make all of the arrangements.

It looks like we will be leaving March 13 and returning on March 26th and just to give you an idea of what our trip includes...

Friday March 13-fly from Nashville to Chicago leaving at 6am (flight time 1 hour 50 min)
fly from Chicago to Shanghai (total flight time 14 hours 37 min)

Saturday Mar14-arrive in Shanghai and stay one night

Sunday 15th- 2 hour train ride from Shanghai to Nanjing (fast train-goes like 150-160 mi/hr)

Monday 16th-Gotcha Day!! We will finally have Miss Rachel in our arms

Tuesday17th-Official Adoption Day

Wed-Sat-in Nanjing for the Chinese part of the adoption

Saturday the 21st-fly to Guangzhou for the US part of the adoption (the US consulate is in Guangzhou)

Saturday the 21st-Thursday 26th in Guangzhou

Then on Thursday the 26th we will fly from Guangzhou back to Shanghai to catch our international flight back to US
Shanghai to Chicago (13 hours 3 min)
Chicago to Nashville (1 hour 33 min) back in Nashville at 8pm......YEAH!!

TATATATATATATATATATA!!!

Yes...it came today (our TA travel approval)and yes today is Friday. I got a email yesterday afternoon from our agency stating they would be checking the mail even though the office is closed and I knew something was up and it was.!! We are very excited!!!!! We hope to leave on March 12 or 13th and return on the 26th. Miss Rachel's 2nd birthday will be the 27th and she will be home. We do have to wait for them to schedule our consulate appointment before we can make final travel arrangements and that should happen by Wednesday. It is so hard to believe that we are going to have her in our arms in 3.5 weeks. It is also hard to believe that we are about to be parents to not one but 2!! I'm so scared...but so excited!

Little sister is coming home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No news to report!

I wish I could say we have heard something but we haven't....no TA yet. But I know it will come, when is just the answer I don't have. I can't believe we are almost to Thursday again with no word and then our agency is closed til Monday and then we are anxious Mon-Thurs especially around 12-1:30pm each day. That is when they usually get their packages and make calls. So after 1:30pm each day you just know that today was not the day.

I am handling it pretty good.....I just want that TA in my hand!!

What's on my mind

Someone else with the same dates as ours got their TA yesterday....but not us....not yet! I am really hoping this week. Taylor and I went to Wal-mart tonight for our weekly stuff and as you can see from the pics I picked up just a 'few' things for our China trip. I think it's easier on my pocket book if I don't do it all at once. Oh yeah and that little green dress, well it was just cute!! The little doll set looked like something easy to pack for baby sister and you can see it didn't take Taylor long to want to play with it.

No...not today :(

No news today, but I did find out that someone else got their TA and I asked for her timeline and it is identical to ours....so now I am just praying it comes this week!! I have been checking out airline prices and believe it or not they are about $200 less per person than when we went in 06 and I just hope they stay that way til I get ours booked. I did not find out that ours didn't come today til late afternoon, so I won't embarrass myself and tell you how many times I looked at my cell phone for a missed call, or how many times I checked my email.

Could it be???....we'll just have to see :)

So I s/w a lady who is also waiting on TA (travel approval) and all their dates are identical to ours as far as when everything is sent and received although we are with different agencies. And guess what she is getting her TA on Friday, now our agency is closed on Friday's so we just have to wait until Monday....but could it be we are going to get TA?????

I can't wait til Monday!!