Our preliminary itinerary

Jan.16: Arrive in Jinan on flight   , guide will meet you at the airport and transfer to Hotel.

Jan.17: Go to the orphanage to meet the child and sign the adoption agreement.

Jan.18: Go to the Civil Affairs for adoption registration, notarization and child’s

       passport.

Jan.19: Guide will go with the family to the local department store to buy some daily necessities for the child.

Jan.20: Visit Baotu Spouting Spring.

Jan.21: Pick up passport. Jinan to Guangzhou on Flight_ transfer to  Hotel.

Jan.22: Take visa photo for the child first, then do medical and TB test for the child.

Jan.23: Visit the Safari park.

Jan.24: Pick up TB test result.

Jan.25: Visit the Six Banyan Temple.

Jan.26: 09:30am visa appointment at the Consulate, Oath-taking ceremony.

Jan.27: Rest on this day.

Jan.28: Pick up the visa in the afternoon.

 Jan.29: Leave Guangzhou for home on flight   , transfer to airport.

Getting oh so excited and trying to keep a few brain cells intact but it is not really happening!!!! Hang on Luke baby we are coming!!!

We leave in 6 days!

Well the last 36 hours have been intense to say the least!  We had a crazy crazy time booking our airline tickets. The ones we had on hold we lost and all of the prices went through the roof.  It is now going to be 2 days of traveling on each end to even get us a halfway decent ticket, but it is what it is and I am trying not to dwell on it. Apparently you need to be a brain surgeon to book tickets to China... Whoa!   That said our plans are still not done as there is an error in one of the tickets that I found as we were having the travel agent book them at lightening speed as the tickets prices kept skyrocketing every time she would try to get one for us, flights are full and the Chinese new Year is soon and it is only a week till we fly = huge headache.  I wont know until Monday if the tickets are fixed but they must get fixed as Luke cant fly alone from Chicago the JFK.....

That said we had an unexpected snow storm this morning and my son had a wrestling tournament so it was a nice side track from the Chaos of yesterday!  It is still snowing lightly and it looks beautiful outside.  Tomorrow Aaron goes back to college for his Second semester at Valley Forge Christian and I am praying for him that he can buckle down and focus and enjoy his second semester.  He is very happy at college and loves the school!

Our preliminary itinerary is:
Drive up to New York on Thursday stay over night in hotel
Leave JFK Friday Arrive in Beijing Saturday
Stay over night in Beijing
Fly from Beijing to Jinan on Sunday(short flight Thank God)
Sorta nuts but that is what has to happen to get us to our sons province and doing tickets last minute was not easy.

I am off to make a few more lists and try and get organized as I can!  Off to get the suitcases packed and let the weighing of the bags begin ( no more then 44 lbs for in China flights).  I will put the rest of our itinerary on here later, it isnt set in stone yet so not posting it.