We have China travel dates (and flights are booked)

The day before the Consulate/U.S. Embassy was set to close for 2 weeks to move to a new location in Guangzhou, they rescheduled our Consulate Appointment from August 5 to August 12 (the request we made). So now...
We will leave Friday, August 2 (on a 6 am flight!), arrive in Guangzhou late Saturday night, August 3, meet Sarah the afternoon of Monday, August 5, adopt her on Tuesday, August 6, have our Consulate Appointment at the U.S. Embassy on Monday, August 12, pick up her Visa on Tuesday, August 13, and head home the morning of Wednesday, August 14. We will stay overnight one night at a hotel near JFK airport and arrive back home the morning of August 15.
Sarah's airline tickets just came in the mail today.
SO EXCITED!

Well...UNPLANNED Change of Plans (but we are still going to Maine!)

Seems no sooner did I decide to update our blog and say that we ARE going to Maine, (and then a few days later heading to China) that then we experienced heavy rainfall for many days, and ultimately had (and still have actually,) a flooded basement. UGH!!!!!!!!!! We've had 2-3 inches of water in there for over 4 days now. Sump pump is being installed Friday (the day before we were to leave for Maine). Dumpster being delivered this week as we have a ton to throw out. And then the cleaning will begin. NOT HOW I WANTED TO SPEND THE LAST FEW WEEKS BEFORE SARAH ARRIVES!!

Very sadly, we called Jim, who we have rented the house on the beach in Maine from for the past 6 years. We left a message explaining the situation...and that we would not be able to go this year...He called back that night and told us after receiving our message, he had called the family who was to rent the house the week after us and they agreed to switch weeks with us!!!! Unbelievable!!!!!! So, this will be us in a couple of weeks, and it will be a MUCH NEEDED vacation, that's for sure! And our last hurrah as a family of 4. We are looking forward to...

Walks on the beach

time in the waves

jumping the waves (and getting knocked down)

riding the waves in

construction projects on the beach

hours in the [cold] ocean water

just lots of fun!!

Today, our good friends returned from Old Orchard Beach, and spent the afternoon with us cutting out our WET drywall, pulling out our wet insulation, etc. etc. etc. The dumpster is arriving this week for all the debris. Once the sump pump is installed and everything dries out we have lots of cleaning up to do..UGH!
In addition, we notified our agency we need a later CA (Consulate Appointment at the US Embassy in Guangzhou) due to our situation. So instead of leaving July 26, meeting Sarah the 29th and having our CA on the 5th, we are trying to push things off a week. I'll post our itinerary and our link to the website we will be posting to when we are in China, before we leave.

TA is in the mail...and our plans (and yes we are going to Maine!)

We believe TA (Travel Approval) either arrived late today or will arrive tomorrow at our agency. Once that is delivered, our agency will contact the U.S. Embassy in Guangzhou, China, and make a request for our Consulate Appointment. This is the our final appointment during our time in China, and determines when we may leave China! We are hoping for a Monday, August 5, or Tuesday, August 6 appointment.  If that is possible, then we will meet Sarah on Monday, July 29, and she will be with us for her 2nd birthday :) I am so ready to book our flights and hotel this weekend! (I am NOT ready for that long flight again, not there, and definitely not back with a 2 year old...but I know we will be just fine, well hopefully!)

So, this means we ARE going to Maine as planned, July 13 - 20. Hooray! Our last hurrah as a family of 4. (I know I said that about Indians Rocks Beach, Florida in April, but that was because I assumed we'd already be in China at this point!!! Don't get me started on my frustration over one delay after another...)
However, while we are going to Maine, it means we will be leaving for China just a few days after getting back from Maine. Packing is in full-force right now at our house. Things for Maine in the guest bedroom; China stuff in Sarah's room. Good thing I am organized!

Dreaming of Maine...this year just with the boys, next year with Sarah...
The past two years have been SO HOT in Maine when we were there. We are always on the beach by 8 am it seems, and most days we were in the water until dinnertime, and then back in after dinner until bedtime. And who is the first one in and the last one to get out each evening...oh, that would be me. I absolutely love the ocean. (Now, after spending a week in WARM ocean water on the Gulf side of Florida this April, I hope we are ready to face the frigid water in Maine! In Florida, on our last day, Aaron spent SIX HOURS fishing with a net in water up to his waist...don't think he'll be doing it for THAT LONG in Maine, but we are packing the net...)
These are some of my favorite photos from Maine last July...Our house has WiFi, so I'll post while we are there.

More Recent Photos of Sarah

Staff members from our agency traveled to Bao'an recently. They sent us these photos of Sarah. Her nametag says "Sonya" because that is the English name they have called her at the orphanage. We love her hair, which they have been letting grow. She looks like she is a really good size, and so darn cute. 

At this point, paperwork wise, I think our Article 5's lateness from the US Embassy (even with daily emails from me to them the past 10 days...) is going to make it so that we will likely not receive our TA (Travel Approval) from China before the US Embassy in Guangzhou shuts down from July 11 - 25 to move to a new location. If that is the case, we will not be traveling until August, and may miss her 2nd birthday... And I sure hope we have a HOT fall here in Vermont because she has a closet full of SUMMER dresses waiting for her... 

A New Photo of Sarah

A family who is in China this week and adopted their child (from Sarah's orphanage), went to visit the orphanage and was able to take some photos of Sarah.
Here is a sweet one of her. She's being held by an orphanage worker, who is holding up the Chinese characters for her name. We love Sarah's hair! She is so darn cute! Cannot wait to have her in our arms!
Our agency has staff members traveling to Bao'an next week. We are hoping they will be able to get more photos and an update on Sarah.

Our Special Blog for Sarah Alexa

Here is the link to the special blog we have for our adoption of Sarah Alexa. This is where we will post this summer when we travel to China.
http://www.myadoptionwebsite.com/sarahalexa/index.html

Indian Rocks Beach, Florida

We are vacationing at Indian Rocks Beach on the Gulf side of Florida. Paradise!
Ironically...we are staying at SARAH's Seaside Resort!!!  Here we are on our last hooray as a family of 4, and the place we are staying has the same name as our daughter :)

The weather has been near 90 each day. Sunny. GORGEOUS. The ocean water is so warm. We are all LOVING it.
The boys are amazed at the wildlife - geckos, rays (in the water with us!!!), pelicans, etc. Each day is something new.

We spent the day at Busch Gardens on Tuesday and are heading to Adventure Island water park tomorrow (Thursday)

As soon as we got to the beach, the boys were into the ocean and loving every minuted of it.

At Sarah's Seaside on Indian Rocks Beach (We booked it in the fall, way before we knew we would have a daughter, and she would be named...Sarah.)

From our house, we just walk this short path to the beach.

A fun day at Busch Gardens

 

 

Aaron and Donovan doing kung fu moves.