Travel Day 1

After a very long 24 hrs of travel, we are here in Beijing and have settled into our hotel (The Traders Hotel). Our 1st flight was delayed, but everything else went perfectly. We got to ride in 1st class to Chicago & business class to Beijing... what a luxury (thank you Kim & Jeff!) My uncle Ron came and picked us up at the airport in Chicago and we went to IHOP nearby for a couple hour visit during our layover. It was great to visit with him!

Here are a few pics from our 1st day of travel. My good friend Tamera is blog-sitting for me and will post my messages & pics to our blog, since I can't access it here in China.





I was really happy when I turned my phone back on after landing in Chicago and I saw a text message from TJ, a 16 yr old boy that is from the same orphanage as Ying. He was adopted almost 3 yrs ago. I found his family (on-line) through one of the adoption forums I'm on, and TJ was nice enough to talk to us on the phone the night before I left for China. He said he periodically calls the orphanage to talk to his foster sister that he misses, and he told us that he also spoke to Ying last weekend. She told him that she has a family coming for her, but she didn't know when exactly. He said she sounded happy. Anyway, I told him if he called there again in the next couple days, to tell Ying that I'm supposed to get her on Monday, and to tell her that I love her very much. He did call her that next night & her reply was that she loves us so so much and that she's so excited. How great to know how her heart is feeling.

We're going to bed very soon, as we are exhausted. Will sight-see tomorrow around Beijing.