Flights are Booked and We Have VIDEOS!

I crossed one thing off my mighty long list that is currently in my head (mental note to self:  it's time to put the list on paper).  Our flights are booked.   We will be leaving on Friday, November 6th from Chicago direct to Hong Kong (same flight we've done for Lena and Reid).  We'll get in Saturday night, November 7th due to the time change and long flight (16 hours).   We are unsure if we will stay the night in Hong Kong and take a van to Guangzhou on Sunday morning or if we'll take a van right from the airport to Guangzhou.  If we do that, we'll stay one night at a hotel in Guangzhou.  Leaning towards the 2nd option.   We plan to take the bullet train mid-day from Guangzhou to Nanning, Guangxi.  Nanning is the provincial capital of Guangxi province, which is the province our girls are from.    We'll arrive in Nanning late in the afternoon on Sunday, November 8th.   Monday afternoon, November 9th will be gotcha day!   Friday late afternoon we'll head from Nanning to Guangzhou via the bullet train again.  Saturday the 14th we'll have our medical appointments.  Tuesday morning the 17th is our consulate appointment.  Wednesday evening the 18th we'll head back to Hong Kong by van.  Thursday, the 19th we'll fly home from Hong Kong to Chicago non-stop (a bit shorter on the way home than the way there).   We'll get home mid-day on Thursday, November 19th due to the time change.   Now it's time to plan out all the details of our trip and get the things we'll need to take with us on our trip.  One thing at a time- I may need to remind myself to breathe!

Map of China

All our kids are from the southern provinces.  Reid is from Guangdong, Lena is from Fujian, and Maeleigh and Macie are from Guangxi.  This will be our first time to Guangxi and we are looking forward to it!

Map of Guangxi Province

We will be taking the train in and out of Nanning and staying there.  Our girls are from Liuzhou, slightly northeast of Nanning.  We hope to take a bullet train there one day and visit and maybe meet the foster families.  

And now for what you really came here to see- the VIDEOS we got today!   Oh my heart- it was just what I needed.   I'm so in love and preparing for some heavy grieving from these girls too.  We've been told that Maeleigh is very close to her foster mother.  That is clear from the video and what a good one she is!   Such a blessing for the long run.   Macie is closer to her foster father.  We're curious if that will mean Macie wants more to do with me and nothing to do with Rick and if Maeleigh will want more to do with Rick and nothing to do with me.  We shall see!   The girls are absolutely beautiful and so very precious.  The thing I couldn't get over is how  much Macie looks like Reid and how much Maeleigh looks like Lena!   The way God knits families together is simply amazing.  His plans are always the best plans.

Maeleigh's video:  https://vimeo.com/143069676
Password: Adoptmaa
*She is 3.5 and is hearing.

Macie's video:  https://vimeo.com/143069593
Password:  Adoptmaa
*She recently turned 3 and she is deaf.

We're so in love and cannot wait to hold them in our arms SOON!