Day 1-Jade Factory

Our first day started early.  We woke up at 2:15am and then were able to go back to sleep until 4:15/4:30.  We got up and turned the tv on and were able to find something on HBO to watch.  After getting ready we headed down to our hotel restaurant for breakfast.  I was already feeling adventurous, so I ate some traditional Chinese breakfast foods with my scrambled eggs....fried rice and fried spaghetti!  It was YUMMY!

We met our guide and another WACAP family that we are traveling part of the time with.  The entire family is deaf and then I realized that one of the grandmothers in the group was a woman I had worked with at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind when I went to Flagler College.  It truly is a small world!

We went to the Jade Factory and learned how they carve the jade, the reasons for the different colors of Jade and also how to identify the glass "jade" and the marble "jade" and the authentic Jade.

We spent quite a long time walking around looking at everything they had.  There were many beautiful pieces.  While shopping you were constantly followed by a salesgirl...and I mean followed as in right on your heels.  We did make a small purchase for Jackson.

The weather is cold, but not unbearable.  We're not having to wear long-johns, so it's all good!!

We Have Arrived In Beijing!!!!

We arrived right on schedule this afternoon at 4:31pm in Beijing

We are thankful that the flight is over.  It was very easy getting through customs and immigration and we walked through the thermal scanners without a problem.

The ride to the hotel was quite fascinating!  6 lanes of traffic without really having any lanes!  And it appears that red lights are optional!!!

Tomorrow morning we meet with our guide at 9:00am to visit the Great Wall!  We are hoping to tour with the other WACAP family that is staying in the same hotel.  They are a deaf family that is adopting their daughter who is also deaf.  I guess I will be brushing up on my skills tonight!

We are unable to view our blog, so we hope that it all turns out ok.  We do not have any pictures yet to post.

I forgot to mention that when we were able to get out of our seats on the plane and stand for about 30 minutes we were able to view Siberia!  It was breathtaking!

Sydney and Jadon, we love you and miss you!  Mommy and Daddy are safe!!  Do a great job in school today and Jadon, good luck at your soccer tournament!  Put the moves on them!!!

When we got on the plane this morning, Kurt surprised me with a 10 year anniversary card.  Our anniversary was Dec. 4.th.  When we were first married, we dreamed of going to Alaska for our 10 Year Anniversary.  Before we decided to adopt, we decided to go to Charleston and just do something small.  But when we began the adoption process we joked that we would be going to China instead!!!!  (And be having another baby!!!)  He then surprised me with a necklace that I had been looking at for a year!  I had wanted it so that I could wear it on Gotcha Day for Jackson!  It has his photo on it!  I was stunned!!!!  Kurt is going to take a picture and try to post it!  I must apologize for the way I look!!!  We just got in from the airport and wanted to see if we could blog!!!!

Thank you for your prayers!!  We have felt God's blessing and covering on us throughout the trip.

We are going to head down to the lobby and take a few pictures and see what is here.

Blessings!  Stacy

 

 

Leavin' On A Jet Plane

We are packing the suitcases in the car.

Heading out to OIA.

Kids just finished playing charades with Oma and Grandma!

What a hoot!

If we don't post tomorrow before we leave from Chicago, we will post once we are in our hotel in Beijing.

Thank you for all your prayers this past year! We have felt His covering over our lives! Thank you for joining us in this calling on our lives!

We love you all!!!

Stacy and Kurt

24

Today's number is 24...24 hours! or 1...1 day

We are set to leave at 8:00am TOMORROW!

We were awake until 2:15am...for those of you that know me...my bedtime, if I had my choice, would be 8:00pm!

So, this morning, it called for a large Coke AND a large sweet Tea from Chick-fil-A! I'm not liking the thought of NOT having a sweet tea to start my morning, but I'm banking on finding the local 7-11 that all of my bloggy friends have been stopping by while in China to find a Coke or at least a Diet Coke.

Our bags are mostly packed.

We are a walking pharmacy!

We are a walking vending machine!

We are a northern winter clothing store!

We are a mild FL winter clothing store!

We have diapers,

wipes,

nose suckers,

stacking cups,

bubbles,

balloons,

books,

crayons,

dvds,

and so much more!

Now all we need is our

SON!

We are 121 hours away from our son, our little brother, our grandson, our nephew, our cousin, our neighbor, our brother in Christ, a child of God!

This little boy is getting so much more than a mama and dada; he has an entire forever family waiting to hold him, tickle him, kiss him, and just stand in awe of a miracle right before our very eyes. And he's even getting...

a dog!

But with all of that, our son is losing all he's ever known.

And it will be heartbreaking!

Please pray! (I will send out another post of specific prayers requests for our family and our son!)

We are still hoping to upload a practice video clip.

Still so much we feel we need to do...

but it's time to let some of that go!

All that matters is that we're going to get our SON!

5 More Days!

Can you believe that we only have 5 more days until we head out?

Today was spent packing my suitcase...well, it turned out to be Jackson's suitcase! We decided to go ahead and go to T*rget to buy Jackson his own little suitcase with a cute rocket on it. After running errands and picking up the last minute items, except for the travel Charmin toilet paper that no one in town seems to have right now, we arrived home and starting looking at Jackson's new suitcase. Boy, it sure looked bigger in the store! I managed to fit a few pairs of jammies in it and a few outfits, but everything else were the gifts that we take to give to our guides and the officials to show our appreciation. I'm praying that Kurt will have extra room in his suitcase to accomodate my clothes, too! Thankfully, on our return flight we will be able to check a full size suitcase for Jackson. You can pick them up in GZ for next to nothing!

Kurt is making the final electronics run. Skype is set up on all of our computers. We were practicing in the house, checking video, sound checks...gotta say I love it! We usually use MSN Messenger with Kurt's parents in Michigan. 2 THUMBS UP for SKYPE!

Kurt's parents should be arriving on Monday evening. We're hoping Sydney can make it just 2 more days with a sparkling, clean room!! Well, maybe not sparkling, but probably the best it's looked since I cleaned it while she was gone this summer!

We will try to do a test of posting video to the blog before we leave. Stefanie over at NiHao Y'all just returned from adopting their sweet Vivi and was able to post a brief video each day. It is truly remarkable to see the progress these little ones make each and every day that they are with their Forever Family!

7 Days and counting....

We received our Travel Itinerary tonight.

It's beginning to feel more REAL!

1/28- Fly out of Orlando 8:00am

1/29-Arrive in Beijing 4:25pm (3:25am 1/29 back home) PEACE NOVOTEL HOTEL

1/30-Sight-seeing in Beijing: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Hutong Tour

1/31-Sight-seeing including the Great Wall

2/01-Fly to Taiyuan, Shanxi GRAND SHANXI HOTEL
GOTCHA DAY!!!!!! Pick Up Jackson Kuan in the afternoon!!!!!!!!!

2/02-Adoption Processing

2/03-Sight-seeing in Taiyuan

2/04-No arranged activity

2/05-Pick up notarized documents and Jackson's passport. Fly to Guangzhou
GARDEN HOTEL

2/06-Medical Exam for Jackson, to include TB test

2/07-Sight-seeing in Guangzhou

2/08-Medical Exam follow-up: TB test read and prepare documents for visa interview

2/09-Visa Interview with the American Consulate at 10:00am

2/10-Oath Ceremony at American Consulate

2/11-Pick up Jackson's visa in the afternoon. Fly to Beijing and stay the night at SINO-SWISS
HOTEL

2/12-Depart Beijing 1:40pm to San Francisco to Orlando
Jackson becomes a U.S. Citizen once he steps off of the plane onto U.S. soil!!

9 Days and counting....

Our flights are reserved and we are packing our bags!

We tried hard to get flights out of Daytona, but the logistics of everything wasn't in our favor.

So instead, we fly out of Orlando on Thursday, January 28th at 8:00am to Chicago. After we change planes we fly directly to Beijing and arrive at 4:24pm January 29th (China time) China is currently 13 hours ahead of us, so that will be 3:24am on Friday, January 29th for all of our family back home! On the flight back, we will fly out of Beijing on Friday, Feb. 12th into San Francisco, have a 4 hour layover to get through immigration and customs and then we'll catch our plane to Orlando and arrive at 9:15pm on Friday the 12th.

We should be receiving our travel itinerary soon. Once we have that, we will post it so that you will have a better understanding of what our trip will entail. We do know that our "Gotcha Day" will be on Monday, February 1st. This is the day that we are given temporary custody of Jackson for 24 hours. On Tuesday, Feb. 2nd, we will sign all of the legal documents in China that will be binding. And then we can post pictures of our sweet Kuan Kuan!

It's so hard to fathom that one year ago Kurt and I were praying again about this calling that God had for us. And here we stand, ready to go get our son. Our son that God had planned for us and called by name from the beginning of time. The child that I have cried out to God for, for the past 5 years. The child that God answered my prayers with.

Only 9 more days!