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The Itinerary...

It's the two day countdown. I will be leaving at approximately 12:40 on a 14 hour flight to Beijing on Thanksgiving Day. I am almost packed and have gotten most of H.'s honey-do list out of the way. We put Meghan's car seat in the van tonight, so she is ready for pickup.

As I am writing this, I can't help to feel really excited about this trip. I am so looking forward to meeting this little girl face-to-face and to getting her home.

We really appreciate how everyone has helped us get ready for this moment...the gifts, prayers, words of encouragement, babysitting the boys, just so much. Thank you for your love and friendship. Please continue to pray for all of the Saffords as I embark on this adventure to China.

Our agency sent out our itinerary today. It looks like it will be a packed couple of weeks:

November 27, 2009 - Arrive Beijing

November 28, 2009 - Take tours and local sights as time permits (Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, etc.)

November 29, 2009 - All families depart Beijing for five provinces

Depart Beijing 11:00 a.m. Arrive Guangzhou 2:00 p.m.

November 30, 2009 – Placement at 2:30 p.m. at Civil Affairs.

December 1, 2009 – Registration at 9:30 a.m. in Civil Affairs. Notary and passport application.

December 2, 2009 – City tour.

December 3, 2009 – City tour.

December 4, 2009 – Pickup notary papers and child’s passport.

December 5, 2009 - City tour and/or rest. (I'm thinking rest...)

December 6, 2009 – Check visa application paperwork with Bill in the morning

December 7, 2009 – Take pictures in the morning, city tour in the afternoon

December 8, 2009 - American Consulate appointment (Bill only) Families stay in hotel room from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.

December 9, 2009 – Oath taking at the Consulate (all families) 3:30 p.m.

December 10, 2009 – Get visas at the Consulate (Bill only), visas delivery at 5:00 p.m. in the hotel

December 11, 2009 – Pack for trip home. Departure dinner together at the White Swan.

December 12, 2009 – Leave at 5:00 a.m. by bus to Hong Kong Airport for 11:40 a.m. flight home

Welcome to our blog

Welcome to the Safford Family’s adoption blog. We are thrilled you can join us on our journey to welcoming Meghan into our home. As we get information we’ll send it out, and hopefully update more regularly from China. Steve and his mom Susan, leave for Beijing on Thanksgiving Day, and return from Hong Kong with Meghan on December 12th. Heather, Colin and Sean will be back in Arlington Heights, counting down the days until we’re all home and under one roof.

Ji Xiang Mei (last name, first name, middle name) probably goes by Mei Mei in China. Her full name means Lucky Plum Flower, hence the name of our adoption blog. Her formal name will be Meghan Xiang Mei Safford, we plan on calling her Meghan Mei. We can’t wait to meet her! We have two cute pictures of her at the age of 2, but they are outdated as she turned three on September 21st. We know that now she is very petite, only 25 pounds, and about 31 inches tall. She’s lived in the Social Welfare Institute in Huazhou City since she was one day old. Huazhou is in southern, tropical China, so our Meghan will have quite an adjustment to December in Chicago.

We have planned and prayed, prayed and cried, cried and shopped for our little Meghan Mei. Her room is ready, the packing has begun and now we’re just trying to be patient and calm as we anticipate the trip, her reactions, and the general transition to our family. We KNOW that God has led us right to this particular girl in China, waiting for us all the way around the world. We covet your prayers for Meghan’s safety, health and well-being.