Word from China Re: Simon and TA

While we still do not have Travel Approval from China, we have heard that it will arrive this week. The good news is that we will finish the adoption (it is finalized in the province) this year and benefit from this years tax perks. The bad news is that we will be away at Christmas. We expect to leave around Dec 20th and return around Jan 7th. We will get Jed first, in Urumqi, Xinjiang (near Kazakstan....I call it the ends of the earth from here because it is 6 of one half dozen of another, whether we travel east or west to get there. Since I am a nervous flier and don't relish arriving in China on Aeroflot from Moscow, we will go west!) A few days later we will get Simon in Xian (think St. Louis with terra cotta warriors).

Good thing for those tax perks, because, once again, we are traveling at a time when air prices to China are outlandishly high. We could have saved about a thousand dollars per ticket by traveling a week earlier or a week later. We are hoping that the tax benefit will be more than than. We will travel with the zillions of Chinese Americans who are traveling back to China while their kids are off school on Christmas break (like Ric's Aunt and Uncle). Ariel will hold down the home front here, as she did last time. All the big kids, except Ryan and Julia (he has a new church), will be here for Christmas, so everyone is expecting to have the normal fun and chaos that is traditional, with us watching by Skype. The younger kids have had various responses, with Dominic the most reluctant for us to leave and Ric asking if he was going to get a present everyday I was gone (A tradition I began with Nellie when we went to get Andy, which meant 17 wrapped presents in a bag, one to be opened each day we were gone. When we got D and R that was 17 times 3 presents for Nellie, Andy and Ric. This time it will be 17 times 5! Not to mention, having everyone's Christmas presents wrapped and ready. Good thing I decided to cut back a little this Christmas. No wonder I was checking out at Walmart at midnight Friday night - and I don't mean black Friday.)

We also heard from someone in Xian who sent a few pictures of Simon. He also told us he hoped we wouldn't be afraid when he laughed and has convulsions. What??!! As they say, international adoption is not for the faint of heart (not sure how I qualified, my heart is often exceedingly faint). Of course, I began googling and have some idea what this could be, but since it could also just be Chinese translation error, I am trying not to go there, yet. Obviously, we could all use your prayers. Thanks.