We're GOING to CHINA!!!

It's confirmed!

We're leaving Halifax on September the 5th! We'll arrive in Beijing for a quick turn around and head out to Lanzhou shortly there after. I hope to meet Annawen on Sunday the 7th or Monday the 8th. We spend roughly a week in Lanzhou, and roughly a week in Beijing, completing legal and medical appointments, paperwork and site seeing - AND EATING!!! We'll leave Beijing on the 19th, arriving in Toronto on the 19th thanks to the power of time travel (supported by time zones). We'll overnight in Toronto so my parents can meet their newest granddaughter and head home to Halifax to land and become a full family of 6 at 7:20pm on the 20th. I can't WAIT! I can't wait to go, I can't wait to come back. I can't wait for all of it in the middle.

Please keep up your well wishes and prayers for Anna's health. Throw in some for safe travel, strength for Annawen and ourselves through her transition and hardy stomachs. Also add some for comfort for Jack, Elliot and Paxten while we're away, and for protection from insanity for the dear souls putting themselves at risk to care for a bear, a moose and a tempermental fairy while we're gone.

And leaving with a "Jack Punny"... he received a stuffed bird in his Wendy's kids' meal at lunch. He said to me, "if this bird went into a store and they said something was expensive, know what he'd say?" I hesitated, sensing what was coming and he jumped in with "CHEEP! He'd say it was cheap!" and fell into hysterics. Okay so it's old and lame and he muffed it up, but from a five year old, it's hilarious! Man I love that kid.

N