***the missing family has been found. I called the travel agent J referred us to in her note and sure enough he had planned her trip to Hoi An. I got a call from him late this afternoon that they will be back in Hanoi by 11am tomorrow morning to prepare for our visit to the orphanage. We will be using him for each and every tour we ever take in Vietnam. Trust me, his search today was that important.

Walking Hanoi

Kristen and I had a lovely day today. Walked and walked and walked and walked. The sights were marvelous but unfortunately Iùm going to have to tell you about them later as Iùve just been informed that using this computer costs 3 bucks US for 20 minutes and I am cheap.

Till later.

Will try to post photos tomorrow when we get back fromt he orphanage.

B

Hot and Humid...not so much

Well it is 7 am our time and it is not hot and humid at all right now. Coolish and damp. The kind of weather where laundry never dries and rain feels imminent.

I'm presently jumping on Kristen's bed (the more comfortable one in the spare room...as Liz points out).She really is having none of the up at 7 lets go explore thing. Given that we went to bed after 3 I sort of get it but I'm going to keep jumping anyway.

The missing family left the name of a great local travel agent for us in a note at the front desk...if we can't collectively locate her by email today then I think going to this guy and seeing if he can haelp locate her is probably plan two. I'll keep you posted. The baby visit TOMORROW aternoon will likely go ahead whether she is back or not.

So, off I go to start my day...a day that will probably include an afternoon nap. I left Carol's Monday morning at 4 am and arrived in my hotel at 1:30pm Tuesday Carol time...33 1/2 hours door to door during which I slept about 6 1/2 hours in total...Kristen says I was out cold about 4 hours on the Chicago-Seoul leg and drooly for about 2 1/2 on the final Seoul-Hanoi leg.

Tired but keyed up pretty much defines me.

Back to jumping...will try to include pictures later today.

2:15, hot and muggy...don't ya wish you were here??

Everything is good, my bags and Kristen's bags arrived, the driver was waiting for us and he didn't crash into the huge truck that cut him off, they opened the lobby to check us in, we have hot running water and lots of snacks cause Cammy is an over packer (that's Kristen's mom by the way). We have internet access in our room (room 201).

Now for a few of the hiccups...Julia C. one of the other adoptive moms in the group left 24 hours earlier than us and much to our surprise found us in the Seoul Airport due to weather delays and rerouting in Vancouver. She has NO luggage.

Parent number 3 is down in Hoi An enjoying the beaches and may be completely unaware of the change in the Giving and Receiving Ceremony date. As of right now we will be visiting the babies on the 8th at 1:30pm (the wee hours of Thursday morning your time). The G+R will be in the afternoon of the 9th....only IF parent number 3 is back from Hoi An....Otherwise everything will be delayed.

Tomorrow Kristen and I will head out to buy diapers and formula and anything else we want to.

Oh, Carol, that little wee notebook where I wrote down every single important number and address and and and...have you seen it? Ooops. Can't find it. It is blue I thingk, whith grey designs on the front??? The info I need for applying for EI hides in that booklet.

So there you have it. I'm here and Benjaminh is here and soon we meet.

Till tomorrow.

WOW...What a day!

Well, we are in Seoul and frankly it is a lovely place to be. Lovely helpers everywhere you turn. The airport is like Rodeo Drive and like a very clean Yorkdale at the same time (though I've never been to Rodeo Drive...so I'm guessing here) but Kristen seems thrilled beyond measure at the available shopping like Gucci, Burberry, Coach, Bvulgari, and so much more... ). I have taken the time to find the transit hotel at Gate 43 so Benjaminh and I can check in and rest in peace and safety during our planned 15 hour layover on the way home. And the nursery areas are plentiful where you can lay the little guy down in a crib for a rest, make up a bottle with available boiled water and if the mood strikes you (and your wallet) you can then slip next door and have a foot massage. We shall see.

Oh, and there is a Starbucks...enough said. They even understood 3 pump non fat no water, no foam extra hot Tazo Chai. And with a bottle of water on the side, so I can brush my teeth it was less than 5 bucks American. I will survive on the way home I'm sure.

We flew Korean Air and it was as marvelous as 14 hours from Chicago can be. I'm happy to be fling with them on the way back.

5 minutes into the flight the woman sitting ahead of us had started to hand out pamphlets in an effort to guide her seat mates into a life following Jesus...of course the pamphlets were available in a variety of translations. Earphone, country music and a lovely eye mask provided by the airline allowed me to skip the lengthy sermon. The fellow sharing our row, sitting near the window, was quiet and apparently never needed the bathroom before the 13th hour. It was a good match for K and I.

I did think the flight would never end when we were at the 6 hour mark and it had already felt like an eternity but once we passed the halfway mark it went faster (and I got a bit of sleep). There really is no way to get around it sucking on the way back if I'm alone with Benjaminh.

Cross your fingers that the date change for the adoption ceremony from the 12th to the 9th may, if miracles continue to occur, allow me to get out before TET and travel with Kristen.

We shall see.

Next time you hear from me I'll be in the little guy's birth country. Unbelievable really. Goodbye until then my friends.

Miraculous

I received 2 emails from the agency today...and I didn't even ask them questions that they needed to answer. I just opened my email and there they were.

The miracle was in the content.
Wait for it.

• There will be no additional fees in country that we have not previously been informed about.
• The Giving and receiving ceremony, when Benjaminh legally joins my family, will happen 2 days earlier than anticipated...on Friday January 9th. We will visit with the babies in the morning and head over to the provincial offices in the afternoon for the adoption ceremony.

Given the endless emails containing bad news and fees I was not aware of and postponed dates today's emails were a very pleasant surprise.

Ceremony dates are never carved in stone until 5 minutes after they occur but I'm all over dates moving closer rather than farther away.

Miraculous.

The Real Deal...

• My flight leaves Monday morning just after 7am.

• Carol, the Goddess of Friendship has agreed to deliver me to the airport by 5am after which time she will go straight to work...can you say long day at school?

• I will arrive in my son's birth country just before morning recess Tuesday (though it is after 10pmTuesday VN time because of the 12 hour difference) ...I fly Toronto to Chicago, reasonable layover, to Seoul, reasonable layover, to Hanoi about 27 hours after the first take off .

• The itinerary is subject to change at a moments notice but as of right now I will first meet my sweet Benjaminh overnight Friday night Canadian time (Saturday VN time) and will try to post about our first moments together for your viewing pleasure before wake up time Saturday morning.

• While I wait for that first meeting with my boy I will be enjoying Hanoi with my travel mate, Kristen and the rest of our travel group...as much of it as we can see in 3 days...

• I will also be meeting two on-line U.S. friends with children residing at Benjaminh's orphanage (who arrive in Hanoi on the 9th or 10th), shopping for special birth country keepsakes, running errands for BTDT families and tasting the culinary delights of Vietnam (within my fairly picky guidelines of course, I don't want to have a staring contest with my dinner for example).

• On the 11th or the 12th Benjaminh and I will officially become a family so I will have to consult with him about the agenda from that point forward. Can't wait to meet my new boss.

Right now, I have to do a bit of laundry and a bit of packing and a bit of culling Benjaminh's clothes out of the luggage so mommy has something to wear and then I have to do a bit more culling so I can pack away donation and gifts and gifts and donations...

And I should sleep.

Soon. Just in case the new boss doesn't like to sleep.

Counting Cars and Counting Days

This sweet little fellow, Z, has been home for about 5 months. Smart. Soooo smart. He counts, usually cars but he will count anything that is count-able.

Today as we were counting the race cars, preparing them to go down the ramp Santa brought, he counted for me...one, two, tree, four, fibe, six, seben, eight, nine, ten.

He counts his precious cars
and I count the days until I will hold sweet Benjaminh in my arms.
And we both end up at the same number.
10.

(and then I get teary,
and he looks at me like I'm a freak...
because really,
who cries while they are making race cars zoom down ramps
and smash into walls and doors)