we're in China!

Hi!  We are finally here!  I was hoping to post sooner but we've been pretty busy, then we've had a hard time getting signed onto the internet.

Lucy was soooo good on the plane.  we had the help of a suitcase full of activities, a dvd player, a leap frog and, best of all...benedryll!  She didn't complain at all about the flight, and there was no crying or whining.  I think we did a pretty good job setting her up for what to expect.  

Once we got to Beijing we had 3.5 hours to make our flight to Xi'an.  Seems like plenty of time.  not so!!  we nearly missed the flight because we had some trouble navigating the Beijing airport.  We did not realize that we would have to take a bus to another terminal - approximately 10 miles away.  We kept going from place to place in this HUGE airport trying to figure out how to get tickets on China Eastern airlines.  Hard to do when you are in the wrong building!!  At one point we went to a ticket counter to, as Chris put it "find our next clue."  It was a serious Amazing Race moment.  We made it on the flight just in time, due to the grace of God, not our international travelling skills!

We have been VERY welcomed by Amanda.  She is amazing.  We are staying in an apartment in the same building as the foster home.  There are 3 other girls staying with us.  They are volunteers who've been here for 3 months.  One of them is from Bradington Beach , FL.  She is letting me use her computer so that i can get on my blog.  They are all awesome (and one of them is currently cooking  dinner for us!)

We are not to meet Rita until our official adoption, but we have seen all the other babies!  There are so many beautiful babies!!  I've spent most of my day holding and playing with babies!  It breaks my heart that there are so many children waiting for homes while I know at least a dozen families back in Orlando who would happily take them in.  I just wish I could match them up and make it happen.  There are at least 2 more that I would take home if I could. (Joseph, Julia, Caroline...) but it just doesn't work that way.

I will try to post pictures tomorrow.  I need to get off the computer since I am borrowing it, but I wanted to let everyone know that we are in China and ready to meet our girl tomorrow!

Love and hugs to everyone, especially the huge number of you who have helped us get here!