flight to Yin Chuan

Today we took a flight from Beijing to Yin Chuan.  All 3 families left the hotel at 9 am, all of us are going to different areas to receive our children.  We had the latest flight at 1:35 pm.  We were going to meet our facilitator, Cindy, at the airport.  Our paperwork had the flight at 1:55 as did Cindy, Dion our guide in Beijing had the flight at 1:35.  Well the flight was at 1:35!!!  Cindy got there as we were boarding the plane.  Needless to say we were panicked.  We asked a the guy sitting across from us if we could borrow his phone, he didn't speak english, but he did give me his phone.  Called Dion and he found Cindy in the security check point.  Dion called the phone of the guy across from us and he gave me the phone, very nice people here in China.   Cindy found us very easily as Linda was the only one with blonde hair, we both kind of stuck out as the only 2 americans out of 150 people on the plane.  It was strange when we got up to walk to the bathroom on the plane and everyone looked up at us. We made it to the city and our hotel in about 30 minutes.  They had a crib set up in our room before we arrived. 
13 hours from now we will be on our way to the orphanage. We have a long day tomorrow, 9 am at the orphanage and then pictures and paperwork.  We will try to post tomorrow but we can't promise it.     
 
Thank you again for all of you prayers.

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Great Wall

Hi everyone.  Today we went to the Great Wall, WOW!!!!  What an amazing place.  Linda made it part way up, Steve, Joe and myself made it up to the 4th tower.  This section is very steep but the views were wonderful.  We stopped by the Olympic stadiums the water cube and birds nest for a few pictures.  Then it was on to the Summer Palace where we walked up more steps.  For dinner we went for a Peking Duck dinner.  Linda is not feeling very well tonight, I think it is being tired and a little motion sickness, any of you who have been in Beijing traffic will understand.
 
36 hours until we meet Sarah!!!  

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Our first full day in China

We went to the Temple of Heaven,  Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City today.  China is a beautiful country.  We are eating real Chinese food, big difference from what we get at home.  we also went to the Pearl market, what an experience.  Very exhausting day.  The 2 other families we are with are very nice and we have been having a great time with them.  Our guide Dion is great.  Traffic hear is 10 times worse than in New York City.
 
Linda had her first experience with a "Squatty Potty" today.  This was the topic at lunch with the 4 women.
 
 

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We're in Beijing!

Hi everyone!  We are here safe and sound but exhausted.  The flight was long but uneventful which is good.  Fourteen hours on a plane is a long time.  The temp outside the plane over parts of the trip was -97 F!  Scary! 
After getting to the airport we meet up with two other families, both from PA.  We will be touring with them tomorrow. After a one hour bus trip to the hotel we walked down the street with our guide and had some real Chinese food.
No pictures today...........must sleep as we have been up longer than I can even figure out. 

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No Small Feat

Meeting the packing requirements is no small feat.  Try putting a pharmacy, some small toys, clothes for Sarah is various sizes and weather types and clothes for us for multiple weather types and laptop, video camera and digital camera, etc, etc in two checked suitcases which must weigh less than 44 lbs and two carry ones less than 11 lbs!

Itinerary

1/27/2010   - Fly to Beijing - Departure 12.15 pm - (13 hrs 45 minutes)

1/28/2010   - Arrive in Beijing, our guide will meet us and take us to the King Wing Hot Spring Hotel.

1/29/2010   - Visit the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.  Shopping at the Pearl Market if time allows.  See the Chaoyang Acrobat Show

1/30/2010   - Visit the Great Wall, drive past the Bird's Nest on the way to visit the Fangshan orphanage an orphan training center that is part of our agency.  Peking Duck dinner.

1/31/2010   - Fly from Beijing to Yinchuan with our guide.  Our guide will take us to check in at the Haiyue Jianguo Hotel.  Try to sleep..........rrrrrrrrrrrrright!

2/1/2010     - 9:00 am  - pick up Sarah at Civil Affairs Office!!!!!!!!
                     2:00 pm  - complete paperwork
                     shopping for supplies

2/2/2010     - Tour city and get acquainted Sarah

2/3/2010     - Visit orphanage Sarah was at before she went into foster care.

2/4/2010     - Tour city.

2/5/2010     -  Pick up paperwork and Sarah's passport.  Fly to Guangzhou.  Guide will meet us and take us to the White Swan Hotel.

2/6/2010     - Sarah gets medical check-up, TB test, visa photo and visa paperwork.

2/7/2010     - Tour Guangzhou

2/8/2010     - Medical to check Tb test results.

2/9/2010     - US Consulate appointment

2/10/2010   - Take oath at Consulate

2/11/2010   - Pick up Sarah's visa

2/12/2010   - Fly from Guangzhou to Beijing.   Depart Beijing for home.  Arrive at Newark  5:35 pm.
                     

Counting down

Twelve days until we get to hold our daughter!

Test Post

This is a test to see if I can successfully post to the blog from an email.  I hope this works as this is how I will be updating the blogger to keep everyone informed where we are at in our journey.
 
 

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Leaving on a jet plane

Our flight to Beijing is booked and the flight from Beijing to Newark with Sarah sitting between us has also been booked!  WooooooHoooooooooooooo!

Shower

Thank you to all of the people that planned, work at and attended our shower/celebration to .  It was a great day and made our dreams of bringing Sarah home seem real.  Everyone was so generous with their beautiful gifts.  I will post more pictures once I have them.

 

Good news!

We leave for Beijing on Jan 27, 2010!  We meet Sarah on Feb 1, 2010!!!  Consulate Appointment in Guangzhou Feb 9, 2010.  Return home Feb 12, 2010.

Must start packing!