We have flights, hotels, and Daddy!

Flights have been arranged, hotels reserved, and now Daddy is home! Life is sweet.

I can finally exhale...some. I had a major nesting episode today after getting some of this travel stuff behind me. I've switched all winter to summer clothes from the attic to the drawers, from the drawers to the attic. (OK. There are three boxes waiting in the hallway to go to the attic. But I'm progressing.) I've started to pick out clothes for Autumn and figure out where to put them. Anna Lin and Autumn will share a room. Anna Lin's dresser is huge (for an adult), so I think I can fit both of their stuff in their for now. However, I do have under the bed drawers available too, but I've been stuffing them with dress-up clothes and toys. I still have not started making my lists yet, but that will be this weeks goal since I have several to do: what to take, what to take to keep girls busy during flight, during layovers, during the day, during the night...(OK, so that one can go on and on!), what to buy for meals & snacks for the three growing teenage boys Grandma will be looking after while we are gone, etc., etc., etc. Again, that is this week's goals. It's doable, especial with Thursday being the last day of school and half-days for the kids this week. While we originally wanted the June 23rd CA, I am sooooo happy we got the 30th.

We have our flights to China. Sue Sorrels, an absolutely wonderful travel agent, arranged it all for us. We leave the 20th early AM, go to Chicago then head to Shanghai. After that she has arranged for us to board a train to Hangzhou (capital of Zhejiang hom of Miss Autumn). The train is so much cheaper than a flight, even though they are not far away. Yes, it is just like our crazy plane routes here in the US, going way out of the way to get to your destination at times. We should arrive in Hangzhou the 21st and are staying at the Lakeview. We wanted an extra day to explore a bit on our own, get a feel for what's around. Though I've heard there is a Starbucks and more. Meeting Autumn JinQiu takes place on Monday the 23rd. (Oooo! That just gives me goosebumps!) We get Autumn's passport on Friday the 27th and head to Guangzhou's Shaiman Island for a stay at The Victory. This is where we stayed with Anna Lin. We will be in the same hotels with another family and are sooooo happy about that! Several other families are also going the same time, and we will meet up with them at this time in Guangzhou. The kids get their medical visits on Saturday then Monday the 30th is the CA for our little Miss for the U.S. Government to say "Yes, you can come to American as part of our family. We do not leave the next day like we did with Anna Lin. Our agency said it is best to wait a day in case there is something needed. :-( So then we'll leave China on Wednesday July 2nd and 14 hours later arrive in the U.S. on Wednesday, July 2nd. Yeah...I'm not analyzing that. It makes my head hurt.

And Daddy's home... We picked up Ric at the airport tonight, then went out to eat at one of our favorite restaurants...Moe's! The kids were all excited to see Dad, especially Anna Lin. Though Noah left the group so he could spot him first, I believe. Either that or he didn't want to be seen with us... Anna Lin just giggled, giggled, giggled. She took over pulling his bag on wheels, beaming right and left. She is really a Daddy's girl. Ric had a time getting to Illinois because of bad weather, spending most of Friday at Chicago's OHare airport (getting to know the place in preparation for our China layover there). So we were really glad the trip home was uneventful. He got to see several brothers and sisters. (He's the youngest of seven.) But most importantly he got to visit with his mom, which is what the trip was all about. We are glad he is home now.

Now I'm off to clean off the mess I left on my bed from my earlier nesting episode! 5:30 am comes way too quickly... But just four more days!

Angi