We have a travel date!

Well after another crazy ride, we finally have a travel date! YEE HAA!!!! We got word last Thursday, but before I could get all excited our agent began to take the wind out of my sail by telling me we may have to travel in a few days vs. weeks...yep, I'm suppose to have all 5 of us packed for a 2 week trip to another country in a matter of days. All of this was due to upcoming Chinese holidays, and the consulate shutting down for the 1st week in October. If we did not get the early date, then we would have to wait several weeks and travel during the big trade fair that goes on for over a month and causes the travel rates to sky rocket (by that I mean: what was $150 per night per room becomes $750 per night per room...and we need 2 rooms!). So, instead of jumping for joy and feeling all excited, my heart sunk and I felt a little overwhelmed. :(

Once I recovered from my shock we decided it didn't matter if we only had a few hours to pack, we would make it happen to get to our daughter. We were told to expect a call on Tuesday that would tell the date of our consulate appointment and confirm if we would travel within 36 hours or less. So we pulled up our bootstraps and worked hard over the weekend to get ready for that possibility...crazy times people!

Finally at around 5pm tonight we got the email we would NOT travel this week, but we would have to wait until October...UGH!!!!!! Yes, this is still during the trade fair and the high prices on hotels, but we are assured we will not have to pay $750 per night rooms (agency is still working on that one). The worst part is really that our sweet little girl will have to wait several more weeks to have a family (and we have to wait to get our daughter)...that really stinks. We are SO READY emotionally and physically (really, we were ready to go). I know God has a better plan for us and her, so I choose His plan...but my heart is still sad. Please pray for Hannah as she spends her last few weeks in her home country (as the boys prayed this morning, "Send someone to love her"), and for our patience as we wait to travel over to get her.

Tomorrow we will begin to make plans, book our flights, and we will be one day closer to our date (yes, a real date) and I know the joy will come with all of that. We could use a little joy tonight. It will be nice (now that everything is done) to spend these weeks with our little family of 4, and to make sure our boys' hearts are full and ready for all the changes coming our way. This is going to be a hard trip on all of us. I kind of feel like this is our calm before the storm, and I plan to enjoy every minute of it.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust the Lord with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understanding. That was the scripture of the day that God gave to me today. It was written on the back of a car window that pulled out in front of me this afternoon....I think God is trying to tell me something. :)

Let the count down begin! :o)