Waiting for our flight

We are sitting in the Syracuse Airport. It was just announced that we are ready to board. We depart Washington at noon. I have only had 90 minutes sleep but feeling ready to go. Blessings on the pilots, the plane and all involved in this magnificent journey.

Leaving Tonight!

We will be headed to the Airport Hotel in eight hours. We will be getting up at 3 to be at the airport by 4:30. Then on to Beijing! In four days we will meet Lilly Grace Ke Xiu for the first time although our hearts are already well aquainted. I am spending the day doing last minute checks on the suitcase and organizing all the legal documents. I have much to do but just wanted to send out a quick update. The next time you hear from me we will be on the other side of the world. On Saturday we are going to The Forbidden City, TianAnMen Square and the Great Wall. My gratitude is overflowing to everyone who has supported us and given of their hearts to make this possible. It will return to you blessed and mulitiplied.

Blessings,
Kimberly

48 Hours

48 hours from now we will be on our way to Syracuse. We will spend the night at the airport hotel to avoid getting up at 1am and alleviate any worries about upstate New York weather being it's unpredictable self. Our flight leaves at 6:15am and we will need to be there by 4:30am. Hopefully this will make us tired so we can sleep a portion of the 14 hours on the plane to Beijing.

I just got off the phone with Christina Ortwein from Children's Hope International. She has been our contact person for quite some time now. I want to thank her from the bottom of my heart for being so patient with me and walking me through some very difficult days in early October.

I am busy today doing laundry and finishing up the packing. Doing all the things that need doing before travel - arrangements for the kids and the dogs, paying bills, cleaning, shopping for last minute items. I keep trying to see how little I can bring. We want to travel as light as possible.

Beyond the obvious reason for our travel to China it is our intention to soak up as much of the culture as possible so that we have lots of stories to share with Lilly as she grows up. We will be armed with a video camera, a digital camera and a true desire to learn about this country and it's people. China is so rich with history and beauty and we will make every effort to ensure Lilly remains connected to the country of her birth.

We meet Lilly one week from today!

Lilly Grace Ke Xiu

Born: Tuesday, January 16,2007

"Tuesday's child is full of Grace."

The story of Lilly began in December 2004. The decision was made with my heart in an instant. Sometimes my head is still trying to catch up. I had taped an Oprah show not knowing what it was about. It sat on the tv collecting dust for many weeks. One night after the kids were in bed I popped it in to see what it was. There was Lisa Ling reporting on these precious little girls from China. I was riveted and before the hour was over I knew in my heart that I would do this. My husband came home from work and I told him he had to see this tape. We watched it together and a decision was made. I can honestly say that we have had more debate about what restaurant to eat at. It was gently snowing as we went to bed and I started to dream about who this child was and how things would unfold.

Fast forward 3 three years. Yes......three. We were originally told the wait would be 5-7 months after our paperwork was completed. However, that was not the case and each month turned into another and then a year had passed and then another year. It took us 10 months to complete our paperwork which included a microscopic view into every corner of our lives. Visits by social workers, notaries, certifications, medical exams, letters of recommendation, financial analysis, authentication of all paperwork at the Chinese Embassy in New York City and then finally we could turn our dossier over to our adoption agency for review and then onto China for translation and acceptance. Our login date is November 28,2005. This is the date that we were recognized by the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs as a family petitioning to adopt. Then the wait really begins. The paperwork is over and now we just go about our daily life knowing that the hand of God is making the perfect match for this family. I have always known that each delay and twist in the road would lead us to the child that was destined for this family. It has been a true lesson in surrender.

We will embark on this journey of a lifetime at 6am November 29. Two years and one day after our login date. We will fly from Syracuse to Washington, DC and then onto Beijing. The flight from Washington is nonstop and is 14 hours and 1 minute long. WOW! We will arrive in Beijing on Friday November 30 at 3pm. Our bodies will do think it is only 2 in the morning but it will be almost time for dinner in China. I am so curious about how that is going to feel to our bodies and our minds. Our friend Sharlyn is traveling with us. She has been the "other mother" to our three older children and will continue this role with Lilly. We are excited and of course nervous at the same time. I am creating this blog as a way for family and friends to follow this adventure and feel like they are a part of it. Each one of you has played a role in making this possible and I am forever grateful to each of you.

Blessings,

Kimberly