We are all packed and ready to go. We will leave in the the early morning tommorow. This will be my last post on this blog until we return home. To continue to follow our journey in China you can visit us at
www.youbelong.net/thepetersons
Please pray for safe travels and peace as we leave the boys. Also pray that we make it through the temperature check when we arrive in China without incident. Next post will be from China!
7/8 Leave US for Beijing
7/9 Arrive in Beijing (we arrive in Beijing at 1:50 pm China time)
7/10-7/11 Tour Beijing
7/12 Depart Beijing for Zhengzhou
7/13 Mia Day!!!!
7/14 Adoption Registration
7/15 Free day or optional tours
7/16 Receive notary documents/free day/optional tours
7/17 Receive Mia's passport/leave Zhengzhou and fly to Guangzhou
7/18 Mia's visa photo and physical
7/19 Free time. Rest/Shop(oh yeah)/tour
7/20 Tuberculosis test though I think Mia will be free from this test because she is under 2
7/21 Free day with an option to shop(oh yeah again!) or tour unless we need to visit the clinic for a chest x-ray
7/22 Consulate appointment (getting closer to home)
7/23 Go to US Consulate to take our oath (closer to being homeward bound)
7/24 Leave Guangzhou for Beijing and then onto the good ole USA! Mia will officially become a US citizen as soon as we land on American soil!
Remember the Wizard of Oz and the tearful goodbye at the end when Dorothy prepares to leave in the hot air balloon? She says goodbye to the scarecrow last and with tears running down her face says "I will miss you most of all." It goes without saying that I will miss my boys most of all. It will be a hard 16 days without them. Honestly this is one of the most difficult things I have ever done. Each day since we began this journey I have prayed for the strength to be able leave them and board that plane to China. In my heart I know that I have a child that needs me to bring her home but it is still hard to leave three big pieces of my heart behind.
To Ethan, Logan, and Christian as we prepare to leave for China to bring Mia home I have a couple thoughts to share with you. First, I am so very proud of you for being willing to unselfishly share your parents with a little girl you have yet to meet. Not once have you complained about the football tryouts we will miss or the soccer practices we will not be here for. You have made the anxiety of leaving a little less difficult. You may feel a little sad from time to time and you may even miss us, right? Be a comfort to each other. I know that grandma and grandpa will take good care of you but each of you are a piece of "home" and are able to bring comfort to one another. A kind word or gesture could make a big difference! Of course the house rules still apply whether we are in China or not. Behave, speak kindly, do not aggravate, help out, eat your dinner. Remember we have eyes and ears everywhere, even on the other side of the world! Most importantly have fun and enjoy making wonderful memories with grandma and grandpa!
We love you and will miss you most of all! When we are reunited as a family, just as in the movie, I am sure we will all agree "there's no place like home."
In one week we will be boarding a plane headed to China. "I can't believe it" are words we have said countless times over the past couple of weeks but fail to do justice to the enormity of it all. Leaving the boys behind for 16 days, traveling to the other side of the world, and adopting a child we know very little about(but have fallen in love with) is enormous! Our lives are about to change in a big way!
In less than two weeks, on July 13, I will meet the little girl that once only lived in my dreams. I will hold the little girl that I have prayed for. In an instant she will become our daughter, a sister, a granddaughter, and a niece. As much as I have imagined many times what that moment will be like for us, I find myself lately wondering what that moment will be like for her. Frightening, scary, uncomfortable, unaware, these are just some of the feelings that come to mind. With these thoughts my heart breaks for all that she is losing and being taken away from.
She doesn't know how much she is loved and wanted. She doesn't know that we will never leave her and that we are her last "stop". She is unaware of the countless prayers that have been said for her. Prayers that she was being well cared and loved until we could be united. Soon she is going to be part of a world and family that she knows nothing about. We look different, we smell different, and we speak differently. She has no idea how her life is going to change. Our joy could be one of her greatest sorrows.
My thoughts also turn to her birthmother as we prepare to meet Mia. In my heart and because of information in her initial paperwork I believe that her birthmother loved her but due to circumstances could not care for her. I believe through her unselfish sacrifice we have the honor of calling her "our daughter." She will always hold a special place in my heart for the incredible gift she has given us.
Mia has also grown very close to her foster mother as mentioned in her paperwork. I can never thank her enough for the love and care she has provided Mia. I hope through her love for Mia that she is more able to accept our love.
I pray that on July 13, our little girl's heart will be prepared to meet us and accept us. I believe this can only happen through the power of prayer. Only God , in His goodness, can take her fear and give her a sense of peace. We are prepared for whatever may come but with God anything is possible!
Two weeks from today we will be on a plane headed to China! We have been super busy with packing. All of Mia's stuff is officially packed! I will pack for Dan and I the weekend before we leave because I know I will be down to the last minute before I figure out what I will be bringing as far as clothing goes. I am trying hard not overpack and so far I have been quite please with what I have packed so far. We are taking advantage of every inch of space and of course do not want to go over the weight limit or lug heavy luggage around.
We have also decided to change our blogsite while we are in China. I have heard of families being unable to access their blogs from China using blogspot and do not want to take the chance that this could happen. I will post on this site until we leave and after we return but our travel site is www.youbelong.net/thepetersons. We can't wait to share this amazing journey with all of you!
Whew! I can finally breathe a sigh of relief, at least, for the next hour until I find something else to fret over! OUR FLIGHTS ARE BOOKED! Our official travel dates are July 8-July 24. We just received confirmation of our CA(consulate appointment) in China for July 22. We will take an oath on July 23 and we are free to leave for the good ole USA on July 24!
We received our TA (travel approval) today from our agency! WAHOO! This is the final piece of the puzzle and now we can begin to plan our travel. Our agency is working on scheduling our CA (consulate appointment in China) and after that is confirmed we can book our flights! Our tentative travel dates are July 8th to July 22! We are going to China!
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