Playing with new Laptop

Well, folks Iam trying out the new laptop. I don't like new software which equates to I don't like change. However, I'm sure with a little more tinkering I will have it so I can navigate my way around. This is a quick picture we took about a month ago to add to an album of pictures we are sending with a birthday package to Julianna at the end of the month. I am using it as a test to try out uploading the pictures to the blog. We are still waiting for our letter Notice of Coming to China and won't know our plans for in China until a few weeks before we go. Will let you know as soon as we know.

TICKETS PURCHASED

Well, it is official we have purchased the plane tickets. We leave bright and early Nov. 27th at 7:50am and land in Vancouver at 8:43am pacific time. Then at 12:30 pm we leave Vancouver for Beijing and arrive on the 28th at 4:05 pm, which is 2:05am our time. Just a bit of jetlag to be addressed. Then we travel home on the 12th of Dec. We leave Beijing at 5:35pm and arrive in Vancouver at 12:30pm the same day. We have a 5 hour layover until we take off for Edmonton at 5:40 pm and arrive at 8:10pm. Yipee!!!!

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS

The exciting part has arrived, we are about to book the plane tickets to go and pick up Tianfeng/Julianna. Our tenative travel itinerary goes something like this:

Depart Nov. 27th
Arrive Beijing Nov. 28th
Group Arrives Nov. 30th
Fly to Guangzhou Dec 1st
Meet/Receive Tianfeng/Julianna Dec 1st
Complete Paperwork/Tour Guangzhou Dec. 2-4
Return to Beijing Dec 5th
Tour Beijing Dec 6 to 11th(Don't know the details yet)
Leave for Canada Dec 12th
Arrive in Canada Dec 12th( This is a joke on the mind, we leave and arrive in the same day even though the flight is around 12 hours because we gain 12 hours coming home.)

Will let you know the finalized plans as soon as we do!!

P.S. We are also still waiting for the letter Notice of Coming to China; it should arrive this week.

The Letter is in Beijing

It has taken quite a bit longer than we had hoped but the letter finally made its way to Beijing and was delivered yesterday. Just to give a little history of its travels! It arrived in Edmonton Thursday Sept. 11, was sent to us Friday the 12th but of course didn't arrive until Monday afternoon the 15th, then sent back to Edmonton Tuesday the 16th and finally left Edmonton Friday the 19th. Then it touched down in Memphis, TN and Anchorage, Alaska before arriving in Beijing and was delivered our time 11:47p.m. Sunday, Beijing time 2:37pm Monday the 22th. Quite the milk route!! Also, what a relief! Now we wait again for the letter entitled Notice of Coming to China. It can take 2 to 3 weeks. Once we have that one we will make travel arrangements.

WE HAVE THE LETTER

Well, here it is!! The letter has officially arrived!! Now all we have to do is sign and date the document and send it back to China. Then they send us one more piece of paperwork which is called the Notice of Coming to China. We will be travelling sometime in November not sure of the specific dates but we will be ready by then and hopefully have a little time to rest up and anticipate with great excitement the day we meet Tianfeng. Which in the China adoption world is called Gotcha Day! The boys are so excited about going to China to meet her!

The house also continues to progress. We now have shingles on the veranda and doors in the porch. As well Stephen is now putting styrofoam insulation on the top to match up with the bottom. The sider will be here tomorrow and then it will take on a whole new look. Can't wait to show you the finished product.

Letter of Confirmation Has Arrived

Excitement in the Hayden House!!!!. The permission we have waited for has been granted! The special letter called the Letter of Confirmation for Adoptees has arrived and is on its way to us via Fed Ex. This letter gives us permission to come to China and bring Tianfeng home. The most exciting part is that we will now travel in 6 to 8 weeks, which means Julianna will be with us for Christmas! We get to call tomorrow and find out a bit more about the travel arrangements. Will fill you in on the details as soon as we hear more!

School Has Started

It is so hard to believe it is September the 3rd. Today was the second day of school and so far things are going OK! Nobody went back with a big hurrah but there have been no bouts of weeping and knashing of teeth either.

Both older boys are playing football this year, so Monday, Wednesday and Friday are practice nights and Saturday is game day. I must say as their Mom they do look quite cute in their uniforms. Music lessons don't start for awhile yet.

Renovations continue, the veranda floor and roof are on and Stephen is madly wiring the upstairs hoping to be ready for an inspection later this week. There unfortunately are just not enough hours in the day.

Today is another day of silence on the adoption front! Hopefully, there will be some news later this month.