People-gazing

12:20 pm ET And so the waiting game of airline travel is underway! We begin by remembering that our travel agent told us the flight out of Lexington was only on time 30% of the time. We have a considerable layover in Chicago, so this was meant to reassure us that we wouldn't be in Chicago as long as it appeared on paper. And this prediction will hold true. So far we are 37 minutes delayed. 

It's been so long since I've flown for pleasure. Usually I'm rushed and wanting to get on the plane pronto to arrive at a business meeting. I would get out and push the plane with my bare hands if it would get us moving more quickly. Now we have time to people-gaze without the stress of a rushed connection. Mom said "watching all these other people makes me feel better about myself." It's good to have a companion who can make you smile. 

This may be a wandering blog. I'll save for now and post more in Chicago. 

2:30 pm CT We are in Chicago and this is a big airport! I have only been in and out of Midway before, so O'Hare is quite impressive. We are sitting on a bench next to the Children's Museum playground taking a break. We had a lovely lunch and then a nice walk to explore all the shops and have now ended up at the playground. I'll tell you, this traveling makes me ready for a nap, but I know I have to prop toothpicks in my eyes to stay awake for once we get to the big time difference. 

5:30 pm CT We are still chilling at the airport in Chicago. We have met another family that is in our travel group who will be on the same flight so now we are busy chattering about our kids(!!). Starbucks makes the time go quicker. 

6:30 pm CT De plane, de plane! It's here and it's a whopper- a 777. They're loading it up with all kinds of goodies for meal service. They called us up to the desk to check that our visas are in order. We are getting really close to boarding time so I will go ahead and close this. 

It's been cloudy and chill our entire time in Chicago, but now the sun is shining brightly in the window. It's encouraging and helps quell the butterflies. All my peeps back home, cheer on the Reds for me tonight (over the Cubs). The next post should be from Beijing!! 

Our Little Prince

From the time we saw Gabriel's pictures in his file, we were bitten by the love bug. He's a beautiful little boy, and we are all so blessed to welcome him to our family. 

He will be 23 months old this week. We know he likes drawing/coloring, and he can say "bye" and "morning" in English. We have seen pictures of him outdoors playing, and on the slides at a park, so we are hoping we can get out and run and romp when he comes home. From our last adoption shower we received a Gabe-sized picnic table and a water/sand table so we are anxious to get these out of the boxes to play with them in the yard- they sound like fun for kids of all ages. 

We put the finishing touches on his bedroom last night and everything is as ready as can be until he arrives. It was late when we got his room sorted, and we turned off the lights and turned on the twilight turtle to watch the stars display all around the room. I kept thinking that Gabe sleeps under the same stars that shine on us in KY. He has received the best care at his foster home, and we are forever grateful to them for their protection of our little prince. 

It's only 7 more wake-ups until we will meet him in Zhengzhou! 

What's Your Vector, Victor

You have heard a bit now about the why of our adoption trip, so here is more on the where. We are adopting from the People's Republic of China. Our adoption agency, CCAI, based out of CO, successfully brings home more children each year than other agencies. They also have programs for adoption through Haiti. If you are interested in more information, I can introduce you to some experts- just ask!! 

My mom is my traveling companion, and she's super-great. We will be gone over Mother's Day, and I would just like to ask the question- what kind of gift do you give to the woman who not only gave you life but agreed to drop everything for 2 weeks to travel to the other side of the world to support you in this moment?? 

We are connecting through Chicago on our way to Beijing on Wednesday, April 30, and we will stay in Beijing until Sunday May 4 when we will fly to Gabe's home province, Henan. This time in Beijing gives us an opportunity to meet our travel group, adjust to the local time (12 hours difference), and rest before the excitement begins! 

On Monday, May 5, we will be introduced to Gabe! Please pray that this will be as smooth a transition as possible for everyone. The caregivers that will bring him to us love him dearly, and he is used to being with them. The next few days will be spent getting to know each other and building the bonds of family. The capital of Henan province is Zhengzhou, and that's where our hotel and home base will be. We will travel to Gabriel's birth city, though, to complete additional paperwork. This will be a 3.5 hour (1-way) van ride. Also during this time in Henan the adoption will be registered and finalized- after the registration, I will formally be his mama. 

Upon leaving Zhengzhou, we will fly south to the city of Guangzhou. ThIs leg of the trip in Guangzhou is focused around our trip to the US Consolute. Following the consulate appointment, we will be ready to head home! We will arrive back in the States on Saturday, May 17. As soon as Gabe's feet touch US airport carpet, he will be a citizen. 

We have been told to expect that the trip will be exhilarating and exhausting. The mental, physical, and emotional roller coaster may give us whiplash, but we are focused on the joy of bringing home our son. We also know that when we run out of strength, patience, or sleep, God will give us what we need. 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. Eph 3:20-21

When You Love Someone

Since we are getting to know each other, I thought you might like to know why we decided to adopt. And the answer to this question (and many more) is that all you need is love. 

From a Bible study lesson about John the Apostle, I remember most the history/legend that says as an old man, John, beloved disciple and son of thunder, had come to realize that love is all that matters after all. After walking with Jesus day by day, writing 5 books that made it to the Bible, being exiled to an uninhabited island, and finally old and infirm, he knew that love makes the world go 'round. The history says that he used to be carried on his mat through the town telling people to love one another because he felt the power of the gospel of love.  

Tim and I had been married for 5 years and relished our simple life. We enjoyed the freedom that comes from only being responsible to each other. I am frequently home around 8 pm after work and running errands, and dinner might be eaten before 9. I do realize this is about to change, so you veteran parents can stop smirking...  We realized that there was something more. At the end of our lives we didn't want to look back and think about all the freedom we had, or the great movies we got to watch opening weekend in the theater. We wanted to share our lives with something (someone) beyond ourselves. So we started the process slowly. We spoke to a friend that works for a home study agency about the different paths to adoption (domestic/international, Hague/non-Hague). We talked about it for a while and then it seemed like there wasn't a need to talk about it anymore. We filled out our application, rolled up our sleeves, and dug in. 

This journey through adoption itself has taught us about love. So many friends and family have prayed this road with us, and we thank you all, especially in the dark days (like during the government shutdown when our paperwork was at the state dept and USCIS). I have had a few "mama bear" moments already, too, which I can only attribute to a shameless deep protective love. I have had a taste and I want more. I want to snuggle and hug and comfort and laugh and cry with my son. We cannot wait to share our lives and our love with our precious son. 

Beloved, let us love one another. For love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But he that does not love does not know God, for God is love. Let us love one another. 1 John 4:7-8

In the beginning...

Well I've just started this blog, and having never done anything like this before, it is quite an experience. There are plenty of choices, have no fear, so if I knew what a gadget, or widget was, this blog would probably have more of them. Of course I couldn't start it when I got home from the gym after work tonight; nothing would be better than to take a wild hair at 10:30 pm and decide that I should get this figured out.

All in all, it's been a good day. The tickets for mom and me to travel to China and for Gabriel to return with us have been purchased, and the excitement level is ratcheting up another notch. We leave about noon ET on Wednesday, April 30.

It's bedtime at the ranch, though, and Harley has been pushing her head in my lap for the last 15 minutes and giving me what-for for typing instead of scratching her ears. She's a Golden Retriever, though, so that's about what you can expect- loyalty, and non-stop ear rubs. I think I'll call it a night, having posted this first blog. I hope everyone has sweet dreams and a good night's rest. We are blessed beyond all measure with this adoption, and cannot wait to be one day closer to meeting our son!