It's finally happening!

Yesterday we received confirmation of our Consulate appointment, of Sept 13th!  This means that Ellie and I have to go to the Ch*nese embassy in Guangzhou to finalize her visa.  This date is what the entire trip to Ch*na is based around, and it's September 13th!!!!!  Which means that I will leave here on August 29th, and have my girl in my arms on September 3rd!!  Aaaahhhhhhh!!!  I'm so excited!

Since the dates were confirmed, I could book flights and make final arrangements.  This was not an easy task, but after one long day of phone calls, and computer searching, our flights are booked!  Then to make the day feel even more "final", we received our Power of Attorney back from the Ch*nese Embassy in San Fransico!!  So now I have all the paperwork I need to take with me, I have my visa, the bags are packed (well sort of), child care arrangements are made for all of the kiddos here at home, and things are ready for her once she is her back home....I am ready!!!

It really hit me this morning when I saw this chart ----

Do you see it?  Next to "gautreaux6".... it says "SAFE TRAVELS!" Oh my! Oh my! Oh my!  So unless you are an obsessive, chart reading, blog reading, impatiently waiting adoptive parent, you have no idea what this chart means....please allow me to explain ---

Ever since I started this journey (over a year ago), I have tried to learn as much as I can about adopting from Ch*na!  And in today's world the best way you can learn is by using the internet, right?  hehehehe There is a wealth of knowledge to be gleamed from other families that have walked the rough road of adoption before me.  So I became a little obsessed with reading blogs, and joining online groups of other fellow adoptive parents.  These groups are amazing!!  Some of the parents are already home with their children, and some are on the same timeline, and some just beginning, but the important thing is all of the support we each give each other.  Most of my questions have been answered from these amazing people!  Well this chart is kept on one of the forums, by an amazing adoptive mom.  All of us who are "waiting" (and waiting, and waiting), send in the dates as we accomplish them each step along the way.  This chart, that comes out weekly, helps all of us waiting to see where we should be in the timeline.  And it's sooooo helpful to see  your name climb this chart!  I started on this chart once we sent our dossier to Ch*na on March 9 at number 550,324,998,783....hehehehe.... really it was about 157 (or something).  Every week I would watch my name climb slowly, and sometimes fall (that was hard)....but this morning, it finally came--- our name at the top of the chart with those sweet words "safe travels"!!!

Soon my sweet girl!!!!!