August 22, 2006 The Infamous Consulate Appointment
Today was the day that determined when we would travel to China for our Grace. Once our SW’s Audrey and Georgia confirmed August 22 as our C.A. we could then make our airline reservations. This, as many of you already know, took place in a matter of hours! Our C.A. was confirmed at 6:30PM on Sunday night, 8/6 and we were told we needed to be in Fuzhou by Saturday August 12. Our flight was booked on Monday morning, and we departed on Thursday! This of course did not allow for any touring of China pre-Grace. Ironically we were only indirectly involved today. Our CCAA facilitator/guide Lily was the one required at the C.A. Except for the document preparation we did yesterday, and waiting for a 12:00 call from Lily confirming all was in order, (it was) nothing was required of us today!
We had a leisurely breakfast, took a brief walk around “the island” and just relaxed today. Don and I indulged our selves and ordered dinner in our room. We are trying to get Grace on a schedule. We have been on the go and haven’t really been able to establish a routine for her. We know it will get easier once we are home. It has been fun just “hanging” out with Grace today. She has been able to take her naps on the bed, not in her “snugli” or on my shoulder. When she wakes up, she sees her Mom and Dad. She wakes up a very happy baby! Well, I am turning the journal over to Mom now. Miss everyone and can’t wait for you all to meet Grace.
Love Sarah
Hello All,
Kevin slept in until 8:00 and was very excited about that! No one (i.e. Auntie Sarah) came knocking on our door at 6:00am looking for coffee. I have never seen any one get up and out the door so fast as he does when I announce it’s time to go downstairs for breakfast. He is all over that buffet. It is quite a sight early in the morning.
We walked around the island today, lots of shops and sights. This building’s here have a very colonial and European look to them. When I peek into to courtyards and alleyways, you can see how the local people live. Brick buildings with traditional Chinese roofs tops and locals gathered around talking or playing games. We saw several groups of “older” folks playing Hackey Sack with a badminton shuttle. I tried to get Kevin to join in but there was no way. He would have been a star!
Kevin thinks it’s really funny to walk past the grocer who sells all his food out of an aquarium…alive; and he has his hands in the tanks PETTING them. The “funny” part of that is me but I’m not laughing, I am walking out into the street to pass the shop.
We have seen so many fantastic sights. This has been a great experience learning about the Chinese culture from the Fujian and Guangdong Province’s. We know there is so much more to China than what we have seen on this short trip. This “journey” goes beyond Sarah and Don becoming Grace’s parents, and Grace becoming their Daughter.
We have all been able to connect with her heritage and where she “began”. There will always be an unknown but at least we can tell her what we saw and what it was like where she was born. She is so sweet and precious, have I mentioned that before?
Love Candie
