Travel Itinerary

1/26 Depart Atlanta at 11:55 a.m. for Seoul, Korea on Korean Air. Ride for about 15 1/2 hours. Try not to cry because I am a big baby on planes. Pray for no turbulance.
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1/27 Arrive Seoul with 1:45 layover. Board plane to Beijing, China. See end of first entry.
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1/27 Arrive Beijing, China at 8:30 p.m. and head to the Crowne Plaza Airport. Sleep. Try to convince hubby that I need a massage and facial at the spa.
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1/28 Philip Hayden Foundation picks us up for a night at PHF. See where Piper lived for a year. Love on the kiddos and spend the night. Fall in love with the kids.
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1/29 Play with the kids some more and then go back to Beijing to meet the group at Beijing Holiday Inn Downtown. Most of the group will be getting in today. Hopefully tour around a little that night while others sleep off jetlag. Hang out in the hotel.
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1/30 Tour Beijing with group.
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1/31 Tour Beijing with group.
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2/1 Depart Beijing for Zhengzhou on China Southern flight CZ 3180 (11:40-13:00). Zhengzhou is the capital of Henan, where Piper QiuHan's sponsor orphanage is.
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2/2 Walk to the Registration Office and meet Piper. Cry eyes out. Blow nose. Try not to be a spectacle. Fall in love with my new family. Meet Jenny - yes, after tons of prayers the officials have asked her to come bring the kids. This never happens and is truly a huge blessing. Cry some more.
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2/3 Walk to Registration Office to finalize paperwork. Love on my two kids.
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2/4 Travel to Eagles Wings to see where Piper has lived since August. Love on the kids and deliver donated items. Hopefully be one suitcase lighter, unless I can fit cute little kids in there. Try not to boo hoo when we leave those other kiddos behind.
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2/5 Free time or optional tours.
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2/6 Free time or optional tours.
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2/7 Leave Piper's birth province for Guangzhou on China Southern flight CZ3971 (10:50-12:55). Hope that we soaked enough in to tell her all about it. Check into the White Swan - adoption family central!!
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2/8 Free time. Explore island. Spend money. Love on family.
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2/9 Piper's required physical. Shop and relax. Love on family.
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2/10 US Consulate paperwork appointment. Love on family.
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2/11 US Consulate oath appointment. Shop and enjoy last night on the island.
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2/12 Take train to Hong Kong and check into Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel. Go to Disney after check-in. Feel the Magic!
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2/13 Play at hotel and go to park again. More magic. Get kids ready for med and pack to get ready to leave. We will have to leave for the airport at about 8:30-9 p.m.
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2/14 at 12:20 a.m. we will depart on Korean Air from Hong Kong to Seoul, Korea. We arrive in Seoul with the time change at about 5 a.m. Check into Seoul airport hotel and sleep. If we wake up, go to the indoor playground, shop at the mall, go to the spa, or watch tv in the room. After our 13 hour layover, board at about 5:30 for a direct flight to Atlanta. Arrive in Atlanta and clear customs. Once Piper's feet touch after clearing customs she is automatically a US Citizen! Get spiffed up and go up escalator to hopefully meet our friends and family who will be waiting for us. After all this flying, layovers, sleep, etc. we will still be arriving on Valentine's Day thanks to getting a day back on the way back over. Hope someone is there to cart our tried bodies back. Love on my Valentines and sleep.

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2/15-3/22 Bask in the glory of being home full time with my babies.

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3/23 - 5/31 Go back to work 3 days a week with 4 days a week to love on my babies. I think this will be dreamy.

We Have CA

Turns out my server at work was down. Oh, I was a mess. We are clear to leave Monday (if we can find flights) and are approved to leave China on February 12th. Our plan is to head to Hong Kong for 2 nights and hit Disney. I just cannot pass up this opportunity to go!

We should meet Piper on February 3rd. Oh my!

Wish me luck on finding flights. My stomach is doing flip flops!

Oh and to celebrate receiving TA, I had a wonderful lunch with my bloggie friend, Karen and her adorable mini-man Micah. I totally love little boys so to see those sweet hands rubbing his mom's arm...oh, it made me miss mushy inside for my Minnie Mr.

I Cannot Sleep

Our CA did not come today. Our travel group is all at our wits end. Then, tonight at almost midnight an email was sent out the to the group that CA was received. We did not receive the email...or so I assume. I have been sick to my stomach since I found out. I have gone onto my work email 100 times to check. Nothing. Unfortunately, I forgot my blackberry so I cannot check in bed. Then, I got desperate and sent myself an email to work from my yahoo account. Guess what???? It did not go through. In fact, I have received no work emails since 8:30-ish. Now, I have a sliver of hope.

How will I sleep?

Travel Plans

Unfortunately, our Consulate Appointment confirmation did not arrive today so we could not book our flights. Don't you just love it when after China is so slow with the process that in the end the US Consulate is the hold up? Uggggh!

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Needless to say, I am fretting about flight options. Our plan is to leave Monday.....yup, Monday. I fear what our tickets will cost with under 7 days notice. In fact, they have already gone up $300 per ticket from last night.

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On suitecase is packed and weighed. Hubs loved that I got to hold the suitcase on the scale so he could see exactly what I weigh. He really is a mean old man. The other suitcases are really a work in progress. It is amazing how hard it is to pack for almost 3 weeks of hotel living!

Packing Help!

I bought a few of these little lovelies. I also have a bunch of jumbo zip locks. I am having a packing breakdown. Probably one of many. What do I pack, how much do I pack, what will I need that I am not thinking of?

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If anyone has packing lists or suggestions can you please share?

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I cannot believe that this is really happening!

Update (Sunday): Piper is completely packed. I was able to get all of her outfits, socks and tights, except 1 outfit and her coat into the packing cube. I also have a nice Ziploc of hair pretties. In the other packing cube, I have everyone's undies. For the adults we are bringing for the whole trip, throwing out and buying new when we get home. That probably is a bit too much info about my current selection :) I need about 10 more of Mike's and we are set in that cube. That leaves me 2 more cubes (second picture) and two envelopes (1st picture). The envelopes alone fit 20 pieces of clothing. I am getting excited that this is all coming together.