We are still adjusting to the time change and recovering from jet lag.  Addison fell asleep on the table at Pizza Hut last night.  We go to bed early and wake up around 5 ready to go.  The kids are doing awesome and we are so proud of them.  Many compliments from the other couples who are with us on how well our kids are traveling.

Today we went to a Jade Factory, the Great Wall of China, an acrobatic show and got to see the Beijing Olympic park - pretty awesome seeing the venues we watched on TV.

We get up early tomorrow to fly to Lexi's province capital city - Zhengzhou.  Then Monday we get her - "Gotcha Day!"  Can't believe it's almost here.  Love you all - keep up the prayers.  Tired and going to sleep!

Bart

I apologize if the videos did not work.  Still trying to figure out things here with the internet!

I forgot to add these to the previous post.  Addison is journaling each day about the trip - it is so sweet so I took this picture of her writing.  I'm also doing a video journal with the kids.  Here's their first video...

Today was a fun day getting to tour Beijing.  We started with a rickshaw tour through the Hutong.  The Hutong is some of the traditional old neighborhoods of Beijing.  It was a cold but very fun ride.  We also got to visit with a sweet woman named Mrs. Wu in her home.  From there we went to a silk factory and then Chinese for lunch.  Not the same as our Chinese at home but very good!  A little spicy in spots!  Our guide George is awesome and I love how he laughs about everything he says.

Next we went to Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City.   All places we went 6 years ago but it was so cool to be there again and this time to watch it through Addison's eyes.  She loved the day and just was very happy and smiling all day.  I think she is thoroughly enjoying this!  I asked if she was excited to go to the Great Wall tomorrow and she said, "I'm just excited to get Lexi!"  How amazing is that?!

Tomorrow we head to the Great Wall, a Jade factory and will see an acrobatic show.  Still getting over jet lag.  In fact, as I'm in the lobby writing this Jodi, Keaton and Addison are all asleep in the room.  I think we may go to Pizza Hut tonight and walk around a mall area.

We love you all and can't thank you enough for the prayers.  Two days till "Gotcha Day!"

Bart

We are here in Beijing.  What a flight - long and we watched a lot of movies.  We got some really great steward treatment thanks to Scott Underwood and Kimberly Brabson emailing the flight crews ahead.  We are exhausted except for Addie - she slept the most and since we got to hotel she's had like a second wind.  The internet at this hotel is only free in lobby.  Hopefully that won't be a continuing problem.  I'm pretty sure our internet is free in our next two hotels thus should make setting up my network in our room easier.  Touring the city tomorrow - Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Hutong and more.  We hit the Great Wall on Saturday.  

Met several of the families and everyone seems great - well, as great as you can be after 14 + hours on planes. The kids really did great on the flight.  On the bus ride from the airport Addison just stared out the window watching.  It's pretty cool watching her take it all in.  

Gotta get some sleep now - Jodi and I didn't sleep at all on the plane and we can't even really see straight right now.  

Love you all and keep up the prayers!

Bart

The journey has begun.

We have landed & have 2hrs before we board our flight to China. Things have been smooth sailing thus far & the kids are doing great. I actually ended up at the doctor's office yesterday to treat some fluid in my ears but thanks to Alan Imes & a cocktail of steroids & meds I am feeling great & no pain in my ears like I was fearing. Praying the same for the next flight.

Thanks so much for the prayers. They mean so much to us!  Will be landing in China about 2am Atlanta time but will post as soon as we get settled & internet.

Jodi

WE LEAVE IN 2 DAYS!!!!

God is just so cool!  I think sometimes maybe he does these things just to make us smile on a journey that can be marked with so much uncertainty.  Below you will see our itinerary for our China trip & it's hard to miss the "God-incidences" with these dates.  You see the day we leave it's my Mom's birthday (Feb. 13th).  We arrive in China on Valentine's Day (I mean could adoption be described with any better word than LOVE).  And Lexi Marie's "Gotcha Day" (the day we will get her & meet her for the first time) is Feb. 18th which is the 20th anniversary of when her namesake Jill Marie, my baby sister by 7min, met her abba Father for the first time in heaven.  I don't know, I think God's pretty cool folks.  (Oh & a little side-note you may not have known.  On our first China trip to adopt Addison our Beijing China guide's name was Jill......I mean is that even a Chinese name, haha.  She was with us the first 4 days of our trip.  Maybe it was God's way to let us know that Jill was with us in spirit!)

Anyhoo, here is our itinerary for those of you that like details:

TRIP ITINERARY 

2/13     Leave U.S. for Beijing 7:25am. 

2/14     Arrive in Beijing at 3:10pm China time (that is 13 hrs ahead of Atlanta - EST)

            Free day to rest, sleep, catch up from jet lag.

2/15     Tour Beijing. 

2/16     Tour Beijing (Great Wall)          

2/17     Fly from Beijing to Zhengzhou (the capital city of Lexi Marie's province)

2/18     Today is GOTCHA DAY!

(The Orphanage Officer will deliver Lexi to us)

2/19     We will take a bus to Lexi Marie's orphanage city of Xuchang

2/20     Rest or optional group shopping trip to the Lotus Center

2/21     Receive your notary documents in the afternoon. 

2/22     Receive child passports. Those not received will be mailed to Guangzhou. 

2/23     Fly from Zhengzhou for Guangzhou for final leg of the trip 

2/24     May go to a local church some friends have told us about.  Free day in Guangzhou.

2/25     Take a bus to the clinic to complete your child’s visa physical and visa photo taken this morning.           

2/26     Meet with CCAI representatives to prepare paperwork for the Consulate appointment:

2/27     Today is our Consulate appointment.  In the morning we will go to the U.S. Consulate to take the oath.

2/28     Receive your child’s visa packet.  Late afternoon we will take a train ride from Guangzhou to Hong Kong where we will spend the night in prep for our flight home the next morning.

3/1       Depart Hong Kong at 8:20am.  Arrive HOME in ATL at 1:25pm.  For those planning to greet us at the aiport, it may take us awhile to get through customs.  Not sure how long but probably at least an hour or 2.  Will keep you posted.