Thursday, January 30, 2014

A Timeline Beginning With the End of our Trip to China

5 weeks from today, we will have been home from China almost a week.

Too confusing? Too startling? Too much to spring on you all at once?! Let me back up.

4 weeks from today, we will be on our return flight home...that is actually on a Wednesday here because they are 13 hours ahead, so it will be Friday here before we are actually home...

That's even more confusing. (I mean, maybe not for you. I should give you more credit. My mind, however, does not do date lines/time zones well. It's really lucky for some of you that I moved to an earlier timezone, otherwise I'd be calling/texting you at 4am...oh wait. yeah. see? that's why that happens.) Backing up again.

3 weeks from today, we will have just left Chenzhou, with our Whole family together, where we were hopefully able to tour the orphanage that 2 of our children began their stories in...and getting to love on many more precious ones who still wait for their families. We will be headed to Guangzhou where we will complete the paperwork needed to bring our son home as an American citizen. This includes applying for and waiting to receive his travel visa.

oh, the heartache, the beautiful moments and the tedious details this week holds. Let's back up again.

2 weeks from today, we're leaving on a jet plane! (ok, technically, it's 2 weeks from yesterday, but I have Such a good pattern going here, plus now we've got a song in our heads!!)

And just for kicks, let's back it up again.

1 week from today and all the days leading up to that day and all the days after that day up until we board that plane, we are running around like headless chickens (ew. does that expression way gross out anyone else? must find a better substitute) securing travel arrangements, school permissions and work lists, house/pet care (done! thank you, very much, Jackie!!)attempting to carry on with everyday tasks still needing to be done, getting the house in perfect order (I cannot be the only one that includes this on my to-do list when leaving on a trip. realism isn't a big part of my list.) and, of course, dragging my butt to the computer to awaken the blogs. (cue scene from Pirates of the Caribbean where Davy Jones orders the Kraken to wake...as long as you're here reading, you might as well follow my mind's movie reel...don't even pretend you don't have one.)

Today. yes, technically, it is included in the above mentioned "and all the days leading up to that day and all the days after that day up until we board that plane" days...but it also stands out, right now, because it is the day that I first put this down on paper for you all.

Today, I invite you along on the next part of our journey. I don't expect you to believe that I will blog about it. I cried laughed chuckled with a tear or two cringed as I noted the last entry I made promised more blogging. I could probably cross reference a number of times I promised that on our regular family blog, as well. (yes, the one I updated almost one year ago to this day) The truth is, I have missed blogging. And, regardless of any broken, past promises I'm going to write through the trip. Because we need you to know that if you are praying for us, thinking about us, calling us, texting us, emailing us, commenting on this...even just reading this about us, you are important to us and we love you. Our family is growing... in 5, 4, 3, 2... let's go!


(oh, shush. it's my first blog post back in almost a year. and I'm about to go get my son. cheesy should be allowed...nay, rather Expected!!)