Flights Booked!

Our consulate appointment is confirmed and we booked our international flights. We leave for China in 29 days. It seems SO far away right now but it's going to be a very busy 29 days and I'm sure it will fly by.

I wanted to give a brief rundown of what our trip will be like. We'll leave November 1st and return November 16th. After the first five days it's tentative.

Thursday 11/1: Leave Des Moines for Beijing. Total travel time: 21 hours 11 minutes
Friday 11/2: Arrive in Beijing 4:45pm (they're currently 13 hours ahead of us)
Saturday 11/3: Sightseeing in Beijing - Great Wall, Tiananman Square, Forbidden City
Sunday 11/4: Travel to Henan Province where Cabot lives
Monday 11/5: MEET OUR SON!
Tuesday 11/6: Finalize adoption
Wednesday 11/7: Waiting for passport
Thursday 11/8: Waiting for passport
Friday 11/9: Receive passport. Travel to Guangzhou.
Saturday 11/10: Medical exam for Cab
Sunday 11/11: Waiting/sightseeing
Monday 11/12: Waiting/sightseeing
Tuesday 11/13: Appointment at US Consulate
Wednesday 11/14: Waiting
Thursday 11/15: Receive Cabot's visa; take train to Hong Kong
Friday 11/16: Leave Hong Kong for home. Total travel time 30 hours 2 minutes...pray for us.

What we're doing while we wait to leave: I'll be re-reading the "adoption bible" aka Mine in China. We have videos about adoption to watch from our social worker. Make 72 packing lists. Brainstorm ways to entertain 3 kids for 30 hours as we travel home. Pray for ALL the patience in world, for smooth travels, for Cabot to transition to our family as well as possible, for us to be patient and understanding with his grief and to know how best to help him.

We'll also be celebrating Ainsley and Benson's SEVENTH birthday. I'll try to not spend all day crying in the corner. But no promises. Instead of having a big birthday party this year, Ben and Ainsley chose to go to the Ed Sheeren concert in Kansas City so we have that super fun trip coming up.

I also have a work trip the week before we leave. We are SO busy this month which I love but I'm so worried about someone getting sick!

Random thought: It's really kind of hard to buy an entire wardrobe for a 4 year old. Especially one whom you've never seen in person so you're guessing sizes based on height and weight measurements which may or may not be accurate. Add in you only buy clothes on sale or with coupons and it's kind of tricky! But I'm still SO thankful for the opportunity to do it. Even if I have spent eleventy hundred hours of my life on the Old Navy and Target websites recently. ;)

I hope to share Cab's room with you soon - it's SO close to done!

And of course we still have puzzle pieces! If you'd like to buy one go to the Puzzle Fundraiser post where you'll find the PayPal link and as always thank you ALL for your generosity, support, and kindness!