Huzzah!

I've been on pins and needles, wondering if we made the right call by booking our tickets to lock in the lower rate.  Last night before going to sleep, I got an email from R in China, saying we could now book our flights.  HUGE sigh of relief.  We gambled, and we won.  No extra costs.  Whew!

So here's how it's going to go:  (at least in theory!)

6/11  I fly from Sac to Seattle to Beijing
6/12  I fly to Nanchang.
6/13  I meet Luke for the first time.
6/15  Paul flies out of Sac
6/16  Luke and I fly to Nanning, Guangxi
6/17  in the wee hours, Paul arrives
6/17  Paul and Luke and I meet Katie for the first time.
6/23  the 4 of us fly to Guangzhou
6/27  Consulate appointment
6/29  we all fly home

I am insanely excited, and I can finally write, in ink, my countdown on the calendar and adjust the paper chain Brianna made me last week.  

I'm finally, really, actually going to China!  Squee!  I'm starting to think about packing for ME, since the babies have been packed for weeks.  I'm not sure there's any room left for my stuff, lol, so Katie's backpack at the very least is going to have to hitch a ride with Daddy in his suitcase.  

I've been busy making last minute arrangements.  Katie has her first appointment at Shriners in July.  Our check from Reece's Rainbow is on it's way to our agency.  (Additional donations can still be made through our PayPal button on our fundraiser page.)  And I'm almost finished with the Operations Manual that stays here with the children so that my amazing step mother has all the info she needs to manage this crazy crew in our absence.  

The one slight downer was another email from China, letting us know that our package to Luke had been delivered to the orphanage.  That's it.  No way of knowing if it got to LUKE or not.  No answers to our questions.  And most disappointing, no new pictures.  Oh well.  In 17 days, I can take all the pictures of him I want to, right?  Can not wait!  

Poor guy.  He has no idea his world is about to be turned upside down and shaken.  Please pray for him.  That God would prepare his heart to be receptive to us, and that our transition would be bearable.  I'm a little afraid of being on my own with a totally miserable little guy, but I know it's just a few days until Paul and I will be doing this together.  I can do it, regardless of what I'm presented with, but it would be nice if it wasn't horrible, you know?  I don't want to be so exhausted that I'm running on E when we get Katie.  I want to have enough of me left to be excited and engaged.  She deserves her own special day.  Maybe in addition to praying for Luke, you could pray for Paul and I, as well as Katie?  Thank you.  

If you haven't clicked for us yet today, please do! Thanks!