Saturday, Aug 27th
    This morning we got up around 7am, went to breakfast and then Helen took us on a walk around Green lake park. The lake/park was gorgeous!! I wish the states had parks like this one. It's incredible. There's a ton of people everywhere, dancing, singing, playing games, etc. I wish Americans were like this. We went to Walmart after that. Yes, Walmart in China. It was interesting. My foot doesn't hurt quite as badly today, thank goodness, but the walk around the park/walmart did me in. After resting for a few hours, we went to meet Victoria Rice and her 3 daughters (Rachel, Esther and Grace). They help out in Anna's orphanage, so we got to hear some stories about her, from them! Getting to them was the only issue. We had to take a cab, and the driving around here is insane! Plus, the taxi driver had no idea where the place we were meeting them was. But we made it eventually. We walked around some little shops and then went to dinner with them at The Wicker Basket. I ate Puh Thai :)
After dinner we caught a taxi once again. About 5 minutes into the drive back the driver pulled over opened my door and motioned to me to scoot over. I had no clue what he was saying, but I moved over a seat...then a lady came running up to the cab and jumped in next to me... guessing it's his gf/wife... lol. We made it back to the hotel without problems this time, though. We've had some interesting cab rides, to say the least. Once we finally got back to the hotel I skyped with Rachel! :) Then went to sleep... I couldn't keep my eyes open at all. Walking everywhere really takes it's toll on you. lol.

                                        Thurs - Fri, Aug 25th-26th
    Last night I began and finished packing for China  at 11pm, (I'm a terrible procrastinator, when it comes to packing). I tried staying up all night, since I had to get up at 2:45am to get ready to leave for the airport. But, I ended up falling asleep at 2:30am lol. So, I slept for all of 15 minutes and then rushed around loading the car, etc. We got to the airport at 4:30am, our plane left at 6:55am. We flew from Louisville to Dallas, TX, and believe it or not, I slept...the whole way. Then, from Dallas we flew to Incheon, Korea, which oh, only took 14 or so hours (bleh), and then last, but not least, we flew from Incheon to Kunming, China! (I literally slept probably 80% of the time throughout the traveling). So, after a grand total of 34 hours, we landed around 10pm, (China time), got our luggage (we found all our luggage with no complications this time. yay!) and then met our guide, Helen. She took us to our hotel....omgness, the driving (yikes)....I guess I had forgotten how crazy they drive here...
All my joints were so swollen from sitting on the planes so long, but my foot was even worse. Since my foot's been hurting/swollen for several weeks now, sitting in the plane just made the swelling and pain worse.  Once we got to our hotel room we all pretty much just crashed for the night...but wow, the beds are like a brick wall (no joke). The floor is 10x softer than the beds...I'm thinking I'll end up sleeping on the floor before we leave here lol. Even with the hard rock beds, I still slept like a baby... no idea how, seeing as I slept basically the whole way here.

Hello from Kunming, China! :)

Count down

Well, it's only a matter of hours now, before my parents and I board the plane for China! 

Flights are booked!

I can't believe it....flights are BOOKED!!! :) We'll be leaving on Aug 25th around 6am, i think (which means we have to be at the airport by 4am? yuck...sounds like I'll be staying up all night lol). My parents and sisters will come home on Sep 11th, and I'll return on Oct 13th!
Right now I have an injured foot...so please pray it heals within the next 10 days!! Traveling with a hurt foot would not be fun...or easy.

:)

So much has happened this past week!!
First off, I've been working a whole lot so I can have enough of the funds to go to China and stay and it looks like I'll be able to! :)
And second, the adoptions are fully funded now! Annnd we got a letter a few days ago from Faith!!! Which, after translated, reads:

"Dear Baba, Mama and family:

Hello !

I received your letter and the photos you sent to me. You all are so beautiful. I am so happy to be your daughter, so happy Bai Xiumei will live with me. I like reading, listening to music, playing hide and seek, running, rope skipping. Wishing to play games with you. Hoping my brothers and sisters will teach me to play violin and flute and other musical instruments. Me and Bai Xiumei will help Jadyn remember her Chinese. Thank you for coming to China to bring me home. I wonder what do Baba and Mama do? Is my brother Christopher in college or already at work? And how about sister Alicia?

Since I found out you were my new family, I am very excited, because I have a new family. So happy that I can join our new family and be one of them. Wishing I could be your treasure and make everybody happy. I am so happy and lucky, because I have a joyous and happy family.

Wish you all ,
Smoothly at work ,and be happy everyday !"

How awesome is that?? It's SO cool! I can not wait to meet her!
We're told that Anna has sent us a letter, also, but we have yet to receive it. I can't wait!
We're hoping to travel on Aug 18th...which is a week from Thursday!!