6 More Days!!!

Only 6 more days until we leave! I can't believe we're almost there. Yesterday was exactly one year since we signed the waiting child acceptance letter for Wen from Great Wall. A year ago I never dreamed that it would have taken this long to bring him home. This past year sure has been one heck of a roller coaster ride! I don't know if I'll ever be able to say that I'm completely ready to leave, but hopefully I'll at least not forget to do something really important! Each day I have several moments where I say "oh shoot...I forgot about xyz". I'm hoping all those moments happen before we leave! It's all the little things I worry about forgetting like leaving the kids insurance cards, and putting Ella's dance bag where my mom can find it. Ya know all the things that aren't on the agencies "check list"! On a good note, I'm mostly packed...or at least I thought I was. That was until I checked the forecast today. I packed thinking that it would be 30-40 degrees in Beijing, 40's in Jiangsu, and 60's in Guangzhou. That is what weather dot com said the averages were this time of year. Well, as of my last check this morning Beijing and Jiangsu look like the weather is going to be about 10 degrees warmer than average, and Guangzhou's forecast is....in the 80's next week!!!! I didn't pack thinking summer. So I think I now need to rethink my packing a little bit. Other than that I did get the medicine kit together and Owen's backpack is all filled and ready for him.

As I scurried along through the day I am finding myself needing to intentionally stop and "be still" for a couple of minutes and in those moments reflect on and "feel" what is really going on here. The purpose of all the lists, the purpose of all the rushing around, and the reason for the overflow of emotion I am living with. It still amazes me that there is a little person on the other side of the world, whom I've never met, and yet I feel so strongly connected to. It amazes me that I could love someone whose face I've never seen in person. It's in those quiet moments, that I allow myself to be still, and feel the presence of this little soul in my heart. It's those quiet moments that soothe my frenzied mind and are truly the most enjoyable part of this experience thus far. The moments where I stand in awe of God's handiwork, in awe of the strength of the invisible bonds that connect each one of us, and in awe of the face of a little boy whom I've never met but somehow is already so much my son.