This morning we got up a little early (remember – China is 12 hours ahead of us) and had Riley call Peyton (Yu Ke) at their orphanage.  Be warned!  This is over two minutes of almost nothing but Mandarin.  However, it IS entertaining to watch Riley (periodically falling into English while making her point) try and find someone to answer, then finally finds a boy who does not know which girl she wants to talk to, then does not want to walk into the rain to find her, then finds a girl that will go get her, and finally we get to talk with Peyton!  She says Hello to BaBa (dad) MaMa (mom) and JiJi (little brother), and at the end she blows Kelly a kiss (battery died on the camera. Of COURSE it did!).

In all, a fun conversation.  She says she is ready for us to come get her and bring her home!  It can not come quick enough!

Cameron

Ok.  That is not true.  NOTHING is packed yet!  But plane tickets are purchased and we leave for China on Friday, November 4.  That is the end of next week!  All those things you thought you had PLENTY of time to finish are now coming due at frightening speed.  Add to that we are spending late evenings filling out paperwork and planning the in-country portion of our trip as we deal with the in-China staff working twelve hours ahead of us.

But we look forward to meeting the new additions to our family!  And Jessie and Riley are looking forward to getting to know their new sisters and vising their old orphanage for the first time since leaving three years ago.  To make things even better, our niece, Taylor, is going to visit us the first week and help with the transition!  She is spending a year in Beijing working at an orphanage.  You can visit her blog at:

https://taylordiatte.wordpress.com/

At this point we are planning to visit both orphanages the first week, which makes for a busy schedule in Huainan.  We will go to Madison’s orphanage one day and then the orphanage of Peyton, Jessie, and Riley (and Ali!!) another day.  Between all the official appointments we have to make and the visits, that week should fly by!

The second week we will travel to Guangzhou to get the girls their medical exams, a consulate appointment, and the required visit to the zoo and circus.  That week looks like it could be a blur also.  Less than two weeks in county almost seems like a vacation when you have been used to staying there just short of three weeks the last two trips.  And the fact that we have stayed in both cities several times before makes planning maybe a little bit easier??

I may not post again until next week, unless something exciting happens.  Prayers continue to be appreciated.  For the girls and the dramatic changes that will be  in occurring in their lives.  For Jessie and Riley that they help with the girls adjustment process and that they are prepared emotionally for their orphanage visit.  And for the kids left here at home.  And a million other things that have to happen in the next ten days!

Cameron