Visas are Ready!

Last night, Jackson woke up sick about 3 AM and was up until 7 AM throwing up every few minutes ... even though he really hadn't eaten so it was that yucky gunk that comes up when your stomach is empty. Sorry to be gross ... Ugghh!! By morning, we were both really tired but he was feeling better. After B.J. & Hank were off to school and Jackson & I went by Starbucks, we came home and crashed. I woke up way before Jackson and spent the morning looking over our possible itinery while in China. Our travel coordinator from our adoption agency sent us an email saying that our China Visas were back from the Chinese Embassy and had been approved with no problem.

So ... looks like our China trip will go something like this ... Depart early on Thursday, Oct 26th for either Chicago or Newark and connect to fly on to Beijing. We'll arrive in Beijing in mid afternoon on Friday and have that night to rest. On Saturday, be touring the Forbidden City, Tian'anman Square and the Summer Palace ... having lunch and dinner with the 8-12 couples in our adoption agency's travel group and visiting the pearl market and silk factory. That night, we might see the Chinese acrobatic show.

On Sunday, Oct 27th, after breakfast buffet in the hotel, we'll go to the International Daughters Church (for foreigners only - no Chinese citizens are allowed to attend), visit the Great Wall and a jade factory or maybe the cloisonne factory. Sunday night we pack our bags for the flight to Guangzhou where we will meet Zoe! Hopefully, we will be getting over the jet lag a little by then.

Monday morning we will fly to a city of 6-7 million people, Guangzhou, that is about a three hour drive south to Zoe's orphanage and a three hour drive north to Hong Kong. We will be staying at the China Hotel - a Marriott hotel - with a Starbucks in the lobby, thank goodness!! :) Probably after lunch, we'll go to the Guangzhou Civil Affairs office and they will introduce us to Zoe and she will be with us for the rest of our trip. Look for us to post pictures that day of our first moments with her, her first bath, her first bottle and, hopefully, her first night of peaceful sleep in the hotel room's crib.

Tuesday, the 31st, we will return with Zoe to the Civil Affairs office to start the adoption paperwork. We will take an oath to always love her and never abandon her. On Wednesday (my birthday), we'll visit Civil Affairs again to take her passport photo and start the processing for it. Thursday, may be a free day for us ... we may visit the zoo with our group and eat lunch at Pizza Hut.

On Friday, Zoe's Visa photo might be taken and either Bain or I may meet with our guides and review all the paperwork for the U.S. Consulate. Reviewing the paperwork takes about 2 1/2 hours but our AWAA guides have it very organized and they will take it over to the Consulate for us later in the week. Saturday may be completely free time for shopping, playing with Zoe and getting to know her better.

On Sunday, the 5th, we may visit the Chen Temple or Guangzhou Folk Arts Museum with our adoption agency's group and then take the afternoon to ourselves. The hotel rooms of the other families in our travel group may be all along the same hall, so we can spend some of our free time visiting with other families in our group.

Monday, the 6th, Zoe might have a medical exam on Shamian Island. Many years ago when foreigners began to visit China for trade, Shamian Island was created from a sandbar in Guangzhou and connected to the city by three bridges that closed each night. All foreigners were required to stay on the island and the architecture of the island is European since the businesses catered to Western and European travelers.

Possibly, on the 7th, we'll take a drive and visit Zoe's orphanage, eat lunch with the director and maybe even get to go inside. We will also get to visit the spot where she was found.

Wednesday, the 8th, we'll be saying good-bye to the families that aren't adopting babies from the Guangdong province. Zoe is in Guangdong province (provinces are similar to our states) and Guangdong requires three extra days to complete the paperwork ... so we won't be going home yet. We'll probably take some final group pictures and visit a local tea house together.

Thursday, the 9th, we'll go to the U.S. Consulate office to start Zoe's immigration process. On Friday, we'll pick up her Visa and they will swear her in as a U.S. citizen. Her citizenship will be effective as soon as we land in the U.S. We'll pack and leave early on Saturday, the 11th, for home. We'll fly to Hong Kong and then back to either Chicago or Newark and, finally, on to Nashville. On the way home, we gain back the 12 hours we lost ... so we should be home by Saturday night, Nashville time!!

The best part of the trip will be seeing the boys again. I can't imagine what it will be like to not see them for so long. I hope they don't miss us too bad but I know that I'll be sick for home most of the trip!

So ... that's the trip summary ... hope you're still awake.