Travel Plans confirmed!

We now have our travel dates! Keith, me (Michele) and Ellie will be traveling. Wish we could take the boys too, but there are just too many of us; besides it's hard for them to get away from their school, work, and activities. We'll give you our travel plans according to GA time... China is 15 hours ahead of us.

• 3/13 - Leave for LA (We wanted to leave on the 14th, but couldn't use our frequent flyers that day, so we opted to leave a day early and stay in a hotel in LA using hotel points!)
• 3/15 - Leave for China (3am GA time)
• 3/15 - Arrive in Zhengzhou (capital of Henan, Emma's province.) (9pm GA / 10am 3/16 China)
• 3/16 - "GOTCHA DAY" The day we pick up Emma!!!
• 3/17 - 3/19 - Visit Emma's orphanage in Nanyang City in the province of Henan and visit her "finding spot" (the place where she was found). Also we'll do some sightseeing and paperwork.
• 3/20 - Leave for Guangzhou (Guangzhou is like a resort, very westernized. It's got beautiful parks, wonderful shops and great restuarants.)
• 3/21 - Emma's Physical Exam
• 3/23 - CA (Consulate Appointment)
• 3/24 - Oath Swearing Ceremony and receive Emma's visa to get in US
• 3/25 - Return to the States!
• 3/26 - Arrive HOME!!!

China has a 13 hour time difference from Eastern Standard. They are ahead of us.

Timeline

• 5/2/07 We started our adoption paperwork. In August, Hope for Children's new waiting child list came out. (These are children with various special needs.) We found our daughter there. We quickly finished our dossier and sent it to China.
• DCT (dossier to China) 10/23/07
• LID (log in date) 11/2/07
• LOA (letter of approval / seeking confirmation) 1/21/08
• TA (travel approval) 2/25/08
• CA (consulate appointment) Requesting 3/24/08 (which means we leave 3/14/08) Still waiting on confirmation...

TA TA TA!!!!!!!!!

TA is international adoption talk for Travel Approval! We finally got it today!!! Aisha with Hope for Children called this morning and shared the news. Poor thing, I screamed in her ear, as usual when she calls to tell me we are one step closer to getting our sweet little girl. What now? Glad you asked... Aisha will request our Consulate Appointment (CA) for March 24th, which means we would leave for China on March 14th and get our daughter March 16th. All these dates depend on if China approves that date for our consulate appointment. We'll know in 24-48 hours. Stay tuned...

Nicholson family photos

Our first adventure in China, Ellie Grace

Five years ago was our first adventure in China. We adopted Ellie at 15 months old. She is from Hubei, and her orphanage was Wuhan Children's Welfare Institute. Emma is from the province just north of Ellie's, Henan. Her orphanage is Nanyang Social Welfare Institute.

Our sweet Emma Kate

We found Emma on the Hope for Children's "Waiting Children's list". Her special needs consisted of a minor heart condition (VSD) and trachoma. The latest updates we've received from China say it appears that both conditions have cleared up!!!

Our Second Adventure In China, Emma Kate

This will be our second adventure in China. Our first was 5 years ago when we went to get our daughter Ellie. We said, "Whew, Now were Done!" ... But God had other plans. Our lives are wonderfully full with three sons, Tyler 21, Alex 19, Drew 17, and our daughter Ellie 6, and coming soon... Emma 2 1/2.