WE'RE HERE!!!!

WE ARE IN BEIJING!!!

We are HERE----the home country of our daughter to be!!!!!  As I'm sitting here typing, I feel like I'm still on the plane!!!  We left home around 3:00 AM on Wednesday morning.  Phyllis (my sister-in-law), along with my mother drove us to Nashville for our flight.  Needless to say, it was a stay up all night kind of night for us.  I had SO much I needed to get done before we left, and as it always is, I left most of it undone.  I put Molly Kate to bed around 11:00, but of course, it would be a night that she started crying and wanted, "Mama, SIT" on the bed beside her.  I think it was probably 11:30 before she finally went to sleep.  I got her up at 2:30 and put her in the car to leave, and she woke up in a GREAT mood.  I figured she would go back to sleep on our way to Nashville, but she didn't.  THEN, I figured she would go to sleep on our flight from Nashville to Chicago, but she didn't AGAIN.  When we got to Chicago, I was bound and determined to keep her awake during our four hour layover so that she would go to sleep on our flight to Beijing, and then maybe I could get some sleep, too, since I had been up all night.  Well, I didn't have to try to keep her awake, and when we got on the plane, she was still wide awake.  By that time, though, it was obvious she was so tired she was wiggling all over the place to stay awake.  I put her in my lap, and she was out like a light!!  She took quite a lengthy nap then, and the another one later.  I also managed to squeeze in some shuteye, too.  Roger was out almost as soon as the plane took off!!!!  :)
 
We really had a wonderful flight!!!  Molly Kate is a world class traveler, and couldn't have been better.  Our guide, whose name is Cindy, met us at the airport.  She is a sweetie.  The five families we met tonight in our travel group are all so very nice.  We are the OLDEST couple adopting, but no one is any more excited about it than we are.  We are only four days away from getting our precious Callie Beth!!!!

Tomorrow we will be touring Beijing, so hopefully I will have some pictures to share tomorrow night.  Right now, I'm so sleepy that I need to sign off and go to bed!!!!

Vicki :)

We're On Our Way!

It's Time To Bring Callie Beth to her "forever" home!  

Here is our itinerary for you to follow our journey!

 
6/20     Leave U.S. for Beijing.  Please check your tickets for specific information.

6/21     Arrive in Beijing 

When you arrive, get your baggage, go through Customs and Immigration and exit this part of the airport.  Your CCAI Beijing guide will meet you outside Customs & Immigration.  Thank you.

Welcomed by your Beijing guide Cindy (13581695849 cell) or her assistant.

(If calling from the US, add 011 86 then the number).

            Go to the Crowne Plaza Wangfujing Hotel. Free time. Enjoy!

6/22     Tour Beijing.  Entrance fees paid upon arrival.  Ask Cindy for details. Pay as you go. 

            Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Hutong Tour, and optional acrobatics show

6/23     Tour Beijing.  Entrance fees paid upon arrival.  Ask Cindy for details. Pay as you go

            Great Wall

6/24     Depart Beijing for Zhengzhou on China Southern flight CZ 3116 (10:20-11:50).

            Welcomed by CCAI Representative Rita (13253303180 cell).

            (If you are calling from the US, add 011 86 then the phone number).

Go to the Crownee Plaza Hotel. It is appropriate to tip the luggage handler about $1.50 per bag upon arrival.

Walk to the bank and get money exchanged into RMB.

This daily schedule should be used as a reference.  Your rep will give you a detailed schedule for each day’s events.

6/25     Today you will receive your child!  Congratulations! Please make sure to take plenty of pictures as these photos are a requirement for the one month post-adoption report!

Kaifeng - The Orphanage Officer Ms. Wang Fang will deliver your child to you

Jiaozuo - The Orphanage Officer Ms. Wan Juan Ying will deliver your child to you

Xuchang - The Orphanage Officer Ms. Zhang Xi Mei will deliver your child to you

Zhumadian - The Orphanage Officer Ms. Zhu & Ms. Yu will deliver your child to you

Zhengzhou - The Orphanage Officer Mr. Yan Bo will deliver your child to you

This afternoon, all families will sign the Guardianship Agreement.

Take Registration Certificate photos at local photo shop.

Return to the hotel. Meet with Rita to prepare registration paperwork.   

Note: Use your child’s Chinese name to fill out all paperwork.  Also, if you have changed your address and have an updated home study, it is imperative that you maintain consistency of address with all paperwork and in all interviews with BOTH governments while you’re in China.

6/26     All families: Take a bus to the registration office to complete the Adoption Registration in the morning.  Directly after registration all families except Jiaozuo will complete the notary interview.

Please note that your adoption is finalized at the time of registration.  After this point, the Chinese government prohibits you from relinquishing your child in China.

Parents: Please review paperwork carefully.

You must make sure all addresses, spelling, etc. are correct. Alert Rita IMMEDIATELY if anything is incorrect. Failure to have 100% correct documents can mean the U.S. Consulate will not be able to process your child’s U.S. visa application. Note: Use your child’s Chinese name to fill out all paperwork.

Also, if you have changed your address and have an updated home study, it is imperative that you maintain consistency of address with all paperwork and in all interviews with BOTH governments while you’re in China.

*Go to the local city where your child is from to apply for his/her passport with the local Public Security Office.  Please see the cost page for the distance from Zhengzhou to the orphanage city you will travel to.  You will go there by taxi/train/bus, accompanied by an English-speaking guide.  Traveling to the local city can be an inconvenience and challenging due to the traffic congestion, over- crowdedness, long ride, and caring for your newly adopted child.  So be prepared for a possibly very exhausting day of travel and paperwork.  You will return to Zhengzhou on the same day as no local overnight stay is necessary.  The great news is that you will be able to see a little of the city where your child originates from. Pay as you go for your family and guide’s service fee.

Kaifeng (Thatcher), Jiaozuo (Pierce) – Rest, free time in Zhengzhou. 

6/27     Jiaozuo (Pierce) – In the morning you will travel to city where your child is from to apply for your child’s passport in person at the public security bureau.  You will also complete the notary paperwork in Jiaozuo.*

*Go to the local city where your child is from to apply for his/her passport with the local Public Security Office.  Please see the cost page for the distance from Zhengzhou to the orphanage city you will travel to.  You will go there by taxi/train/bus, accompanied by an English-speaking guide.  Traveling to the local city can be an inconvenience and challenging due to the traffic congestion, over- crowdedness, long ride, and caring for your newly adopted child.  So be prepared for a possibly very exhausting day of travel and paperwork.  You will return to Zhengzhou on the same day as no local overnight stay is necessary.  The great news is that you will be able to see a little of the city where your child originates from. Pay as you go for your family and guide’s service fee.

6/28     Free time or rest.  Optional tours may be available please ask Rita for details. Pay as you go

Receive your notary documents in the afternoon.

Parents: PLEASE check printing, spelling, and photos very carefully!

Alert Rita IMMEDIATELY if anything is incorrect. Failure to have correct documents can mean that the U.S. Consulate may refuse to process your child’s entry visa into the U.S.

6/29     Receive your child’s passport in the afternoon.

Parents: PLEASE check printing, spelling, and photos very carefully!

Alert Rita IMMEDIATELY if anything is incorrect. Failure to have correct documents can mean that the U.S. Consulate may refuse to process your child’s entry visa into the U.S.

If you have medicines you are not using, please consider making a donation by leaving these items with Rita.

6/30     Leave Zhengzhou for Guangzhou on China Southern flight CZ 3393 (12:50-15:05).

Welcomed by CCAI representative Jason (13711520252 cell).

 CCAI Guangzhou Office (020-89091922 office and 13112207469 cell)

(If calling from the US, add 011 86 then the phone number).

Go to the China Hotel.  (It is appropriate to tip the luggage handler about $1.50 per bag upon arrival)

           

7/1       Free day in Guangzhou. Pay as you go

7/2       Take bus to clinic to complete your child’s visa physical and visa photo taken this morning. Bring supplies (water, snack, etc.). Your child will also receive a tuberculosis skin test if they are between the ages of 2 to 14. Be ready to go! If your child is 10 & over, he/she will receive required immunizations from the clinic.

7/3       Meet with CCAI representatives to prepare paperwork for the Consulate appointment: Please bring all of your documents and passports to this meeting. Your CCAI rep will have the required forms for you to fill out

7/4       Happy Fourth of July!

If your child is over two you will meet with your CCAI representative to have the Tuberculosis test checked at the clinic. If necessary have the chest x-ray taken.  You will travel by bus or taxi to clinic to complete this test. Please plan to reimburse your CCAI representative in Guangzhou for this transportation cost.

 7/5       Today is your Consulate appointment. 

Your CCAI representative will deliver your visa packets to the U.S. Consulate Adoption Unit in the morning.  In the afternoon you will go to the U.S. Consulate to take the oath.  Please bring as few items with you to the Consulate as possible. Backpacks, baby bags or purses are not permitted inside the Consulate. Cell phones or cameras are not allowed in the U.S. Consulate or on the U.S. Consulate grounds. 

7/6       A CCAI representative will go to the U.S. Consulate to receive your child’s visa packet

DO NOT OPEN YOUR CHILD’S VISA PACKET!

Prepare to leave for home.

Pierce – Depart Guangzhou for Hong Kong via van (pre-paid).  Please ask your rep for details. When you arrive in Hong Kong, please check into your hotel. Booked by you.

Robichaux – Depart Guangzhou for Hong Kong via your own arrangements. Booked by you.

When you arrive in Hong Kong, please check into your hotel. Booked by you.

Young – Depart Guangzhou for Hong Kong via train. Pay as you go.  Please ask your rep for details.

When you arrive in Hong Kong, please check into your hotel. Booked by you.

7/7       Thatcher - Depart Guangzhou for Tokyo on Japan Airlines Flight JA 5026 @ 09:30.

Patterson - Depart Guangzhou for Hong Kong on Dragon Airlines flight KA 783 @ 09:55.

When you arrive in Hong Kong, please check into your hotel. Booked by you.

            Leave China for the U.S.  Please check in 2 hours prior to departure for the US.

Please check your tickets for specific information. 

WELCOME HOME!