Our Schedule

01 DEC 05 - THURSDAY
Leave Greensboro 7:03 AM to Chicago
Arrive in Chicago 810AM
Leave Chicago 1205PM for Beijing

02 DEC 05 - FRIDAY
Arrive in Beijing 3:40PM

06 DEC 05 - TUESDAY
Leave Beijing 1050AM for Xianyang (Arrive 1230PM), where Ning Ning is...
This is the day we get to meet our darling!!
Stay in Xianyang from 12/6 - 12/14

14 DEC 05 - WEDNESDAY
Leave Xianyang 950AM
Arrive in Guangzhou

15 DEC 05 - Consulate Appointment
16 DEC 05 - Official Ceremony at Consulate
17 Dec 05 - LEAVE FOR HOME!
Guangzhou to Beijing Leave 1120AM
Arrive in Beijing 200 PM
Leave Beijing 530PM
Arrive in Chicago 425PM
Leave Chicago 700PM
Arrive in Greensboro 955 PM
Flight 712 United Airlines

Time...

We leave for the airport in 4 days 16 hours and 47 minutes! I can't wait.

I'm mostly packed -- I unpacked some last night and re-evaluated what I had packed. Daniel has 4 pairs of pants, 4 shirts and 4 pairs of socks & undies. I hope that's enough. I could possibly squeeze in 2 more pair of each for him and then we'd have enough for a good buffer in case we couldn't get to laundry one day.

We will have 2 rooms in Xian and 2 rooms in Guangzhou because I want to be prepared to have a place if Annabelle feels like she needs to cry and grieve. Plus there just won't be room for us all in one room without feeling like we're cramped up and we want this to be stress free.

Ahh. I need to pack swimsuits for everyone. Just in case we can go to an indoor swimming pool. I just asked Daniel if he would swim and that led him to ponder if Ning Ning has even been in a pool or seen a horse or napped while laying beside someone... What experience will we show her that she may never have known before. It will be interesting to see the world through her eyes.

Okay... now I need to go pack the electronics. This should be interesting. My backpack is going to be HEAVY! Anyone seen the video camera?? We found it yesterday and promptly lost it again. I bought a DVD Video Recorder yesterday - a video camera that records to DVDs. Well, the stupid thing will not record to a format that can be read on a Mac so I had to take it back! ::grumble:: I also need to go get a charger for the old laptop today! I feel like my foot is nailed to the floor and I'm going around and around in circles.


TTFN!

Thankful...

We here at the Craig Household are very thankful for many things - our family, our friends, our animals, Josh's CAP workers - Mr. Phillips, Carrie, April & Courtney... we're thankful for all the things we have and often take for granted that others do not - food, shelter, clothing and love. We are thankful that in just a few days, we will be holding our sweet Annabelle Ning and loving her for the rest of her life. We're thankful for the things we have been given that have allowed us to follow this dream to China.
We're thankful for our healthy children, our own health and happiness and that of our family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving - spend it with someone you love and be Thankful! :)

I have the best friends....

Look at what my buddies sent me!!!! We each got tshirts with our entire family on them - including Annabelle! OMG! Aren't these the cutest things you have EVER seen!? We'll have to wear them in China! I could have just cried when I opened the box. SOOO sweet. Thank you Seegal (Annabelle's official FIRST AUNTIE), Joy, Jackie, Jen, Mel, Gwen, Paula, Kim, Lysa, Pat & Lissa! OMG! I am just blown away.

Traveling!

We leave on December 1st and return on December 17th.
Our first part of the trip has us in Beijing from December 2nd to December 5th. On the 6th we fly to Xian to meet Ning Ning/Annabelle. We can't wait. Then we're in Xian from 12/6-12/13 when we fly to Guangzhou on the 14th and then our consulate appointment is on 12/15. Our flight home is on December 17th!

This is a day that we have been waiting for since the moment we saw Ning Ning's photo and knew she was the one. April - December seems like a lifetime, but it also seems just like yesterday that we first saw her darling chubby cheeks.

Please pray that she has an easy transition - and if she doesn't, please pray for us to have the ability to help her reach that point. I think with 2 sisters to play with, she may have so much fun, she'll forget to be sad?? Ha. One can only hope. We're prepared if she's grieving.. we know this is not something she's old enough to comprehend, but then again, she's old enough to know that things are changing. We wish we could let her know how much we love her and we will do anything for her!

I'm done packing already! I have a carry on for each of us, and a backpack for each of us. The only things not packed are the laptop and a few toys. I'm so excited... I have a bunch of new jeans - but they're all too long. On a whim, I tried on a pair of Daniel's and THEY FIT!!! We're now interchangeable. ;) LOL...

Still have some meds to pick up before we go... have to remember to call tomorrow... ::thumping self in head::

TTFN!

TA!!

We got our Travel Approval today! I was only off by a week!! :) Woohoo!! :)

beautiful...

One of my friends on my WC DTC group wrote this to her daughter's birth mother in China. I thought it was so beautiful I wanted to share it with you!

Kissing the Moon

Ever so quietly she tip-toes to the gate, she's dressed you in the
finest outfit. She places you where she knows that you will be
found soon. The tears flow freely down her red cheeks. She kisses
you softly on the forehead and wishes the best for the baby she can
not keep.

She waits, the sun is coming up. There is a man on his way to
work. He sees the tiny bundle at the gate. He motions to the
workers inside to come and open up. They take you inside. She
hurries away, she knows that you are now going to be taken care of.

Somewhere she knows what your real birth date is.
Somewhere she knows what your real name is.
Somewhere she knows how much she loved you and wanted the best for
you.
Somewhere she weeps knowing she missed your first tooth and your
fist steps.
Somewhere she looks at the moon hoping that you will find your way
to a family that will love you as much as she does.

Many miles away that family has made room in their hearts for the
little girl that has touched them in so many ways.
Many miles away, that family is making room in their home.
Many miles away, they talk about clothes, and new names for the
little one they have only seen pictures of. Soon they will travel
across a big ocean. They know this is the daughter that was meant
for them.

If there were some way to let her know how much that family will
love and cherish her beautiful baby girl. They will never harm her,
they will support her and take care of her. She will be loved as
though she is one of their own.

When we look at the moon, we hope and pray that she is seeing that
same moon and will know in her heart that her baby is safe.
We love you sweet one. We love the one that did the hardest thing
she's ever had to do. She shall live forever in our hearts as the
one that brought us together.

Thank heavens!

No TA yet but the next best thing to TA!

Three moms have recently gone to China to bring home babies from Ning Ning's orphanage! One mom was able to meet her and hear her sing in a little group - she said she was a kick and boy could she sing! That tickled me because I had just shared a video with Sherry at HFS - my kids (years ago) singing Jingle Bells. Sherry said "She's been a Craig all along!" :) (click on the title of this post to see the video)

I just got an email from another mom who met her today!!! She met my baby! She said she was adorable and very friendly! She asked what name she was used to being called and they said Ning Ning! WooHoo! That's all I wanted to know. So I won't feel so guilty about calling her Annabelle.. but you know we do call her Ning Ning here all the time. It has become such a household name, I doubt we call her anything else. The mom also said she brought out her daughter's photo album and Ning Ning came running over saying "Mama Mama!" like she had been shown her Mama's photos! ME! She is waiting for ME! :) How exciting. I can't wait to get there and hug her and love her.

I just want to go get her and love her and show her what it's like to have a family who loves her!

The days are creeping by. Fall is fast approaching and the days are shorter - well, they FEEL shorter - but in reality the darkness comes to early and I sit here and think about what she's doing.. and does she know we're coming? Does she know we're working as hard as we can to get there. We're praying for her everyday! I know she's in good hands and that keeps me at peace.

Hold on Ning Ning.. it can't be much longer. It has to be soon!! We love you and want you here with us!

Poem...

I saw this on another site and thought I would share - it is so befitting! :)


I wish someone had told me
just how it was going to be
to look at your sweet pictures
and see you looking at me
but not be able to hold you
or hug you so very tight
to hear you call me mama
or watch you sleep at night

I wish someone had told me
I'd have to see you cry
but not be there to comfort you
or to gently wipe your eye
I can't pick you up and kiss you
on your cheek so wet with tears
I can't calm you, say I love you
chase away all of your fears

I wish someone had told me
If I do all that I can do
I'll still just be here waiting
and I'll know you're waiting too
but you don't have a mama
and your room is cold and bare
you have no mattress to sleep on
and there's so few toys to share

I wish someone would tell you
that we are coming soon
you have a mommy and daddy
who think you've hung the moon
there's nothing I can do here
only sit and wait
but I promise you my darling
there will soon be a date

I hope that they will tell you
so that you will be prepared
to meet everyone who loves you so
and all this time have cared
we'll pick you up and kiss you
we'll hug away your fears
and when we meet, you'll know its me
for we'll both be wearing tears.

-by Marsha Roberts, mom to Mia