We are on the Home Stretch!

We received really good news today from Great Wall Adoption Agency. We received our Article 5 today! In the adoption world that means we are about 20 days from receiving our Travel Approval! At this time we think our agency thinks that we will travel April 3oth! Hooray! If everything goes according to plan, it will mean that we will be in China during the exact same dates as we were for Bei's adoption 2 years ago! Additionally, we may be traveling with one of the families, the Lee's,that we adopted with 2 years ago. We will go to different Provinces, but will meet up in Guangzhou since all adopting families have to go through the US consulate there. We are excited to see them again!

We are slowly getting everything ready for our trip to China. We started with big stuff like a new refridgerator, which led to a new dishwasher, which led to a new dryer...okay...none of that led to one another...it just was the realization that we have been in this home for 19 years. Things worked but not as well as they use to...the dryer would take two cycles to dry the clothes and then we needed a new dishwasher because Dan didn't like to drink out of freshly cleaned glasses that had a cloud of film on them...(and sometimes chunks of food)...he is just so picky. In addition to our new appliances Dan built us a pantry in our kitchen, because of limited cabinet space. I'm one of those grocery sales shoppers who see's boxes of macroni on sale for $.68 and I buy 40 boxes! Honestly, that man knows how to make my heart sing...I LOVE my new pantry! While Dan has been installing appliances and building a pantry, I on the other hand have pulled out all of Bei's old clothes and washed them for China. I also have painted Bei's room twice...the first time I thought it was going to be a warm brown...like the color of coffee. After I was done painting Bei kept saying "mom where is my brown room?" That is what I want to know too kid! Unfortunately, it was the color of cement...gray and very institutional looking. Now, it is a very pretty blue color and goes fabulous with his Thomas the Tank Engine bedspread.

Now that we are truly on the home stretch to China, I am going to pull out the suitcases and start packing...I'm very excited about it all!