Tianna Meets Santa

Tianna Meets Santa

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Itinerary...12/2 to 12/17

Dec. 2 Flying out of Newark
Dec. 3 Arriving in Beijing. Hotel Novotel Peace Hotel
Dec. 4 BA Da Ling Greatwall, Jade Factory
Dec. 5 Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square
Dec. 6 Beijing flight to Changsha. Dolton Hotel
Dec. 7 GOTCHA DAY: Meet Tianna Rose at the Civil Affairs. Sign agreement.
Dec. 8 Adoption registration, notary and apply for passport.
Dec. 9 Half day tour of Yue Lu Villa, Fly from Changsha to Guangzhou. Shi Fu Holiday Inn.
Dec.10 Skin test in Guangzhou
Dec.11 Get result of test
Dec.12 Medical with other families
Dec.13 Half day tour to Six Banyan Temple
Dec.14 Visa appointment at 10:00
Dec.15 Pearl River Cruise. Oath at Consulate
Dec.16 Get Visa in the afternoon.
Dec.17 Fly to Shanghai, and then back to Newark Airport, NJ. USA

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Thoughts about the future

Well here Laura and I sit, listening to "Toddler Tunes" and thinking about just how fortunate we are that in 10 days we will be heading to China to begin the Journey of a life time. I think now things are setting in. I look at Tianna's pictures and think that in such a short time we will get to hold her and begin a new life. The excitement in the family is really building.

I looked into Tianna's soon to be bedroom and it is filled with trip "stuff". We are getting things together. This has been a challenge, but with the help of friends who have gone to China it has helped to make this some what easier.

Thats all for now, and since it is now Sunday we can say that, "we are going to China next week"...

Later folks
Matt

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

We're going to China...we're booked.

Doings of November 15th and 16th.
Laura and I have been waiting for almost a week for our CA to come in. Thats the consulate appointment. When this comes in then we can book our flghts. Well it should have been in by the end of the week and is was not. Needless to say we are getting concerned.
Laura and I watched tv last night and while catching up on 24 there is was, an e-mail from Pauline at NB stating the CA was in, we can now book our flights.

November 16th, today after a few phone calls back and forth with Continetal airlines I finally booked out flghts to China. We will be leaving on December 2nd from Newark, in to Beijing. Then on December 17th we will fly from Shanghai to Newark. We will land at about 6:30 and by the time we get out of customs we should be heading home around 8pm.

It will make for a looooooooong night but well worth it.


Wednesday, November 4, 2009

News from 11/04/2009

Well folks, I called the USCIS office today and they told me that our paper work for the extension is done and being mailed out today. So that is it ALL the paper work is done. Now its up to Pauline to make the dates and we can book the flights. It looks like December 2nd as the travel day. After almost 4 years of waiting the trip is upon us.

Monday, November 2, 2009

The Waiting .....

So here we are at the start of a new month. I believe I can say it this month with nearly 100% certainty that we will be traveling next month ( December ). October brought us the TA ( Travel Approval) now all we are waiting on is the extension of our approval from the US Immigration service. As it looks now we might be traveling either December 2nd or the 9th.
The 9th presents an interesting scenario, if we leave on the 9th our expected return day would be the 24th. However there is a strong chance we would not make our connecting flight from either Hong Kong or Beijing. So we would be forced to stay the night of the 24th in China. The flights back to the USA from China on the 25th are about $1,000 more expensive. So, it looks like we would also spend the 25th in China and fly home on the 26th.
But as one thing we learned in this process, things change week to week and Laura and I have no control over it.
Anyway here's to hearing some good news about travel date....SOOOOOON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And as the "Philosopher" T. Petty once said "The Waiting is the Hardest Part"