Happy New Year!

We rang in 2011 with the good news that our immigration paperwork is complete and our "Article 5" was sent to China on Dec 26.  This means we should receive approval to travel to China in late January and will most likely leave in mid February, after the Chinese New Year holiday ends.  Now that the Christmas tree is out the door and most of the decorations put away (we left the lights up for Yu Ping ~ call us rednecks if you must), we can focus on all of the last minute details involved in this journey.  In addition to packing for the 3 of us, Don and I have to get several vaccines,  purchase about a dozen gifts for various Chinese officials who will be assisting us while there, make multitudes of copies of multitudes of documents, arrange for childcare for the boys, and then actually make the travel plans themselves (we can't make them until we get "Travel Approval" and then we are expected to be in China within the next two weeks!).  Its all very exciting, but also a bit nerve-racking!  I know I will be a basket case ~ thank goodness my husband is very laid back!  We know two other North Idaho families who brought home their daughters from China on Christmas Eve (one is 6, the other is 3) and have shared happy information with us about their experiences.  Welcome to Allee and Anya!