China in December {cabled}

So we are moving right along with our adoption for Lingao. We were informed this week that our paperwork has made it to the US consulate (i.e. we are officially cabled).  We have a few steps left and then we can start booking our flights!

We have been asked a lot about what the trip will include...here is a brief overview!!

• Arrive in Hong Kong (2 days) - relax and get over jet lag
• Kunming, Yunnan (4-6 days) - Visit Kunming's Social Welfare Institute (hopefully to meet with the new director), meet with Emma's 'finder', and visit the foster village where Emma was likely fostered.  
• Nanchang, Jiangxi (4-6 days) - Meet Lingao, Visit his finding spot, visit the Fuzhou Social Welfare Institute (note - this is an hour or two drive from Nanchang), and visit with his foster family, if possible. 
• Guangzhou, Guangdong (3-4 days) - Lingao has a medical appointment to ensure he is healthy/clear to travel to the US, and then he has an appointment at the US consulate to become a US citizen (which will occur the day he lands in the US).
• Drive from Guangzhou to Hong Kong to fly home!

That is the itinerary!! 

We are currently looking for a guide for the non 'lingao' part of the trip. This will include the trip to Kunming, if not the entire thing. Please let me know if anyone has any leads!! Must be bi-lingual, love little kids (we have 3 of them!), and comfortable with the adoption process. We will pay for time, travel, air/hotel, etc.

We will be traveling in December at some point.  We really have some flexibility so it may come down to costs, timing of when we can do it, and when can get a guide to facilitate the trip to Kunming with us. Happy planning to me!! ;-)

~Christy

I800 Approval! {Lingao is now an immediate relative of ours!!}

We finally have I-800 approval!  That means the US Gov't has formally listed Lingao as an immediate relative to our family. He is a Lillie!!

Our next steps:

• We need to get a copy of the I-800 approval to the US embassy in China who will schedule an appointment in China to allow Lingao to come home with us.  
• Once we have the Embassy appointment, we will send that date to the Chinese Gov't who will schedule our 'gotcha day' for Lingao.  
• Once we have the gotcha date, we will schedule our flights to China!

In 2011 we received our I800 approval on 11/7 and picked up Emma on 1/8...~2 months later. So this go around we think we could get Lingao as early as the first week in December.  Meaning perhaps he will be home for Christmas (or we will be there)!

For those of you following our earlier timeline, I did have a bit of a mess up that caused a delay. I actually forgot to send a check with my application to the US gov't.  Apparently my 'crisp execution' and attention to detail have gone by the wayside.  I guess 3 - well almost 4 - kids does that to you. ;-)  In any case, I have no other tasks to complete so hopefully everything from here on out is smooth sailing!!