A few more sites.....

Today was a much shorter day with us being at the hotel around 2pm. We started the day with a trip to see the pandas, then a trip to a temple, which always strikes me as odd since you are there as a tourist and the others are there worshipping. We then did a rickshaw tour and had lunch prepared by one of the locals and it was very good. The best part of the day was getting back early enough to walk down the street to Starbucks. I got a piece of New York style cheesecake and a hot chocolate! Time was spent getting some packing done in the room, then walking down to McDonalds for dinner. We have been so late the last two nights, we have only had Pizza Hut, which is located in our hotel.

Anyway, we leave early tomorrow and get our babies as soon we land tomorrow. I am so excited! i can't wait to hold Courtney. I'm also thinking back to our time spent here with Kaleigh, and all the memories I have of that time. I want my time here with Courtney to be just as wonderful in it's own way. Next post should have Courtney Pics!!!!!!!!

Great Wall and more!

Well today was another long day of touring and sightseeing. We left the hotel just after 7 am and got back to the hotel just before 8 pm. We did the Ming tombs and the Great Wall plus a jade store and a cloisonne store, lunch and a tea shop. I went to a different part of the Great Wall this time and it was extremely steep and there was no cable car to take you to the top. The bad part was that it rained all day here and the stairs were extremely slick.

Anyway enjoy the pictures. Tomorrow is another day with the zoo, Tibetan Lama Temple and a ricksaw tour of the hutong on the schedule. After the tours tomorrow we head back to the hotel to repack so we can leave early Sunday and go get our babies. I can't wait to go get Courtney!

Let the tours begin!

Today was a great day, but long and busy. We started out at the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, followed by the Temple of Heaven, lunch, a silk factory tour, the Summer Palace, and finally a pearl store. I got some of the gifts on my list for Courtney!!! I loved both the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace. Both were beautiful! I have always wanted to see the marble boat and I finally got to see it!

Anyway, just finished a pizza hut pizza and getting ready for bed. We have another full day ahead of us tomorrow!

Safe Arrival

China no longer allows access to blogger. So, Sandy will send me updates and pictures as she takes them. Sandy sent me an email at 3:30am Wednesday morning letting me know that her and Paula made it safely..Just some hotel reservation issues that were sorted out with the guides help. Ming tombs and Great Wall are on the menu for Thursday, which for Sandy and Paula is already under way since they are 13 hours ahead of us. Anyway, I will keep everyone posted as I get updates.

TA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We got the call today that our Travel Approval has arrived. We had to give some possible dates to our agency to request our consulate appointment. As soon as we get a confirmation on that date we can book our flights and hotels. We have had a hard time the last few weeks because we know Courtney is very small because of her open palate and the quicker we get her home the faster we can get it repaired and get her weight to a healthier number. I am so excited and so is her daddy. Thanks to everyone who expressed their excitement today, it means so much to us.

New Pictures!!!!

We got an update and new pictures of our youngest today. She is just precious but apparently the orphanage still feels the need to keep her hair chopped off. She is 33 inches tall but only 21 pounds. She has 17 teeth and is potty trained!!!! Her palete had not been repaired so that will be a priority when we get home and hopefully that will help her gain weight as well. She is still taking a bottle which I have heard is common with the unrepaired palete. Everytime I look at these pictures and all the others we have I fall more and more in love with this child.

Update

We hit another paperwork error with our I 800 approval but after several phone calls to our immigration officer we got it corrected and are back on track. We are now waiting on a letter from the Visa center and then I think we are waiting on TA. We are still hoping for a late August travel but with the delay on the I 800 approval we may be looking at September. That still is not too far in the future so I am slowly working on my packing list and getting supplies for travel. I have bought Courtney some clothes but until I am closer to travel and have an update on her size I am scared to buy too much. I am sure it is no surprise that Kaleigh has only worn about 2/3 of what I bought for her. The rest was the wrong size or the wrong season and some was just that she didn't get around to wearing it. Anyway we are so excited to be adding Courtney to our family. I have been blessed with one wonderful daughter and can't wait to bring home my second blessing.