YIPPEE!!!!

WE received our Consular Appointment today, which by default means that our long awaited Travel Authorization is in the hands of our agency (which I've decided though excellent in agency stuff is not too hot on communications with parents!)

we will travel on 6/15 from Boston via Chicago to Beijing
spend through the 21st in Beijing, then fly to Chengdu
get the kids on the 22nd (I think)
Fly to Guangzhou on the 27th (or thereabouts)
Have our US consular appointment on the 29th
and fly home Guangzhou-Shanghai-Chicago-Boston, arriving at 11pm...then driving home. ugh.

Why via Boston? Cuz it was nearly $3000 cheaper than Manchester.

Anyway, more to follow, without a doubt. Yippeee....

STILL WAITING

7 weeks after LOA and we are still waiting for our travel authorization (the one that is supposed to take 2-4 weeks...). Our agency says "yep, its longer than normal" and "everything is in order, it is imminent" - and has said that for the past three weeks. This is driving me nuts. The fact that swine flu has hit mainland China, and of course it is is Sichuan province (!) is just icing on the cake.

Actually, I dont mind waiting. I want the kids now, of course, but I really am using the time to get ready a bit more. I just want to know when we'll travel so I can plan better. Right now, I'd say mid June maybe?

Oh well.

Swine Flu?

I am so frustrated. We have been holding our breath for 4 weeks now for our TA. Now the rumor has it that either 1) the director of the CCAA which issues the TAs is out for another week and nothing will get done (that is the "good" rumor). or 2) CCAA has completely stopped issuing TAs for a period of 30 days, and will consider restarting at that point depending on the Swine Flu epidemic.

AARGH

I just want our kids.

Its getting real...

I've been a member of a web community which tracks referrals, letters of acceptance, travel authorizations...we celebrate together on line, we pound our collective heads at the frustrations inherent in the process, we commiserate with those who seem stuck in bureaucracy, and the good list owners publish a chart of where everyone is in the process. We moved 2 weeks ago from the "waiting for LOA" list with much fanfare to the bottom of the "waiting for the TA (travel authority) list" - and expected a 5 week wait. Yesterday, two weeks later, the China Center for adoption affairs issued TAs to almost everyone ahead of us on the list. We're now pretty close to the top. It is just barely conceiveable that we will receive TA next week. Of course it could be another three months...who knows. But probably in the next week or two.

I'm SOOOO not ready. I'm SOOOOOOO ready. I"m so conflicted!

I have a house to clean, beds to move, sheets to find, trinkets to pack up, clothing to unearth (its still winter here but 90 degrees in Chengdu...so gotta find the summer stuff buried in the garage). I have to choose cabinets and door hardware, clean the fridge out (yuck), and get the inn ready for the season. Get ready to move houses. We're out of town 4 days next week, 3 days the following...AARGH!!!!!!

All in God's good time.

Wow. Its happening

Panic

I think I am beginning to panic. I have a long list of stuff to do (that is no where near complete) . Our house wont be done by the time we return, and I havent even begun to address that. Work is suffering because frankly my attention is about 10,000 miles away. And I know I am absolutely positively crazy to be doing this.

On the other hand, spring is springing (back and forth into winter it seems) but there are crocuses and the day is sunny and the birds are singing and the roofers are roofing.

Message for Julia

Thanks for your post. Can you email me at innkeeper@sunsethillhouse.com? Your boy is adorable.

ITS OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL

YIPPEEEEE!

Today we received word that we have our LOA - the "Letter of Acceptance" from China. The China Center for Adoption Affairs has reviewed all of our affairs (and believe me, the mountains of paperwork we sent ensured they have every detail of our lives documented, stamped and sealed) and has officially said "yep, you can adopt Yan and Dong". This LOA came a full month earlier than we had really expected.

Now, we wait for our Travel Authority (TA) (Adopting internationally is a world of abbreviations! I thought the Army was bad, but it has nothing on this!), then our CA (Consular appointment), in preparation for GD (Gotcha Day. I think this is a dumb name but hey, it is the recognized name for the day you get your kids!). OMG. Realistically 4-8 weeks. Probably 6-8. But still, that means travel beginning in MAY. Happy birthday to me... Zhu ni shengri kwaile...

sooo much to do now. Yippeeee.