Leaving China!

Hope you enjoyed our travel blog at http://www.hunsufamily.com/

We will see you on the other side of the world tomorrow x2!

Travel Blog

Dear Family and Friends,

We will be using a travel blog site for our Journey; "Adoption of Two". Please visit us:

http://hunsufamily.com

The reason for this temporary "TRAVEL BLOG" site, is that most likely while we are traveling in China the "Censorship of Free Press", will have blocked Blogger, Facebook, Twitter and other media abused blogging portals.
After our Journey, you can meet us back here to catch up on our family days at home. :o)

China~2009, ready or not here we come!

We are packed and ready to go get our two "babies".

Our children are waiting for us in Henan, China.

A family foursome around here,... will soon be a six-pack!

and Yes,... this is packing light. 4 checked and 4 carry-ons and one purse.

All under TSA/International weight! :o)

China Itinerary~2009

9/1 Leave for airport
9/2 Leave U.S. for Beijing.
9/3 Arrive in Beijing.
9/4 Tour Beijing.
9/5 Tour Beijing.
9/6 Depart Beijing for Zhengzhou on China Southern flight.
9/7 Take a bus to the registration office to receive your child this morning. Congratulations!

This afternoon, all families will sign the Guardianship Agreement.
Take Registration Certificate photos at local photo shop.
Return to the hotel. Meet with Yisha to prepare registration paperwork.
9/8 All families take a bus to the registration office to complete the Adoption Registration in the morning.
Please note that your adoption is finalized at the time of registration. After this point, the Chinese government prohibits you from relinquishing your child in China.
Go to the provincial notary office to apply for the Notary after registration.
Rest or optional group shopping trip to the Lotus Center (same as Wal-Mart) in the afternoon.
9/9 Free time or rest. Optional tours maybe available please ask Yisha for details.
9/10 Receive your Notary documents in the afternoon.
9/11 (Athena's Birthday) All families will receive your child’s passport in the afternoon and leave Zhengzhou for Guangzhou on China Southern flight.
9/12 Have your child’s visa physical and visa photo taken this morning. Have your child’s visa photo and physical completed today. You will be walking to the clinic with Bruce. Your child will also receive a tuberculosis skin test if they are between the ages of 2 to 14.
Meet with Bruce to prepare paperwork for the Consulate appointment: Please bring all of your documents and passports to this meeting. Your CCAI rep will have the required forms for you to fill out.
9/13 Sunday. Free time. Rest, tour, shop.
9/14 If applicable, meet with Bruce to have the Tuberculosis test checked at the clinic.
If necessary have the chest x-ray taken.
9/15 Free time. Rest, tour, shop. If you needed to follow up with the chest x-ray go to the clinic with Bruce.
9/16 Today is your Consulate appointment.
Bruce will deliver your visa packets to the U.S. Consulate Adoption Unit.
9/17 Go to the U.S. Consulate to take the oath in the afternoon.
Receive your child’s visa packet at the conclusion of the oath ceremony.
DO NOT OPEN YOUR CHILD’S VISA PACKET!
9/18 Please check out of your hotel room and be ready to go by the designated time set by Bruce.
Hunsucker and Kulp – Leave Guangzhou for Hong Kong, on China Southern Flight. Leave Hong Kong for the U.S. Please check in 2 hours prior to departure for the US.
Please check your International flight tickets for specific information.
WELCOME HOME!

I can see clearly now,... The rain has gone.

"I can see clearly now... I have my {first pair of} glasses ON". :o)

"J." is in 4th grade and today he received his first pair of glasses. I (mommy), wore my first pair of glasses in 5th grade, a long time ago. We were anticipating this since my family history of eye sight is not good. Last School Year his eye sight was 20/20 during his 3rd grade physical. He was not due for this yearly physical until December. We made his pediatric appointment early this season, because he needed a physical to travel to China. "J." failed his eye test during the physical at 20/50. We saw the optometrist today and found out he has a astigmatism as well.

He is totally thrilled he has glasses.

He can not believe all that he should have been seeing,... and what he was missing. I am amazed by this little man. This is one time that mommy can not do it for him or protect him or fix it. Only help with a solution,...glasses. I know in some ways glasses are not a big deal, but for me and "J.",...at least for me not to be able to do it for him was a little hard; (after all it is his eyes, he has to look with them, not me). So I think I am more emotional over it than anyone.

I am realizing, my baby is growing up, and mommy can not kiss every boo boo away. I did hug & kiss on him a whole bunch, and let him know he is so handsome. :o)

TA: Travel Approval

I can finally tell you we have our TA: Travel Approval,

and our CA: Consulate Appointment.

These were the last two Government Adoption Steps, standing between us and our children.
~

We are so grateful to the Prayers by everyone to reach these milestones, and be able to confirm when we will travel to our children waiting. We were able to purchase our tickets on Friday, before the "airline hold" ran out. Praise GOD, the approvals came in time.

~

We will journey to our kids, in a few short days.

~

Our two current children are coming as well, to welcome their new brother and sister into "Their/Our Forever Family".

~

I have to tell you; it was a bit hard this weekend to keep quiet and not shout "TA" has arrived.

Our agency requested we not blog or post on a public forum until others from our agency received their TA's, and announced ahead of us. Our agency is conservative and compassionate. TWO things our family respects, and loves about our agency. Any way the "cats, out of the bag now" and we can shout it.

~

We are going to China for our Children. Thank you Deniece, Judy, Betsy, Sarah, Lily!! I could go on and on... and thank you to all our friends and family for Praying this day would come. I can not wait to hold my two newest children and caress their hair, kiss their cheeks and let them know how much our family loves them forever!

"You are..."

Little "H." said,

"You are the best mom E..V..E ..R.",

and who could argue with that:

Drive-Thru McDonald's and Craft Toys,... all in the same evening.

I think "J." was happy to agree tonight with "H.", as well. A Toy Blaster from the new "G.I. Joe" Hero Movie! ~ "Thanks mom, this is Awesome."

Best Mom E.. V.. E.. R, ... or at~least for tonight! awwhh {wink,wink :o)}

First day of school... & the cousins 2nd day photo too.

The funny guy!

The "Fairy Princess".

Today was the kids first day...

I went on to work and daddy dropped them off at School.
~

& I picked them up. :o)

My little "H.", looks a little lost at Pick up time...

"J." snuck up on me. He was in front of me before I ever saw him coming. :)

...and now little "H." sees mommy!

It was lightning & raining HARD, then it turned to hail at pick-up time, ... and we were alas, without an umbrella.

The four cousins: On their 2nd day of School. (We waited for the next day to get this photo, hoping the sunshine would return; since day one was a thunderous storm.)

This is Little "S.", her first year of school she is in Kindergarten :o) and her big brother "D." is in 1st Grade. (both Center) My "J." is on the left, a big 4th grader, and sweet "H." on the right is a 2nd grader.

Two more, Care Packages

We sent two more packages and two more letters to our two children waiting in Henan. PJ's and blankets, candy, camera and a small toy. We used Ann Service in China again, we love her. :o) She resides in Hannah's Province of Guangdong. Ann at http://redthreadchina.com/ will translate our letters, and get back to us with the personalized pictures of our packages being sent. I love Tigger and Eeyore!, but, the "cRaZy cOw" Pj's... are good for a laugh. :o) I bet Scott, "misplaces those". LOL!Athena, has Mickey and Minnie Mouse "in love" Pj's! awhh.

~

We are about 3 weeks or less away from traveling to China to adopt our "babies" ;o).

... signing off, leaving you with a picture of each ... :o)

Where is my walking buddy?

My friend moved last fall, and this summer was not the same... Where is my walking buddy?

This one is for you, sweetie!! Miss you.

Ta Dah! I am beautiful!

This is the typical funny bunch,... not quite sure if my family is coming or going? ... or a little of both! ;o)

Always time to stop!, ... and smell the flowers!

Do a little dance... get down the path!

Jacob & Hannah thought it would be more fun to ride... than walk tonight! Daddy went to Karate, so I bet they were right. ;o)

Hey, wait up!

I love you mom!

HELLO!!!

Oh yeah, forgot to mention....BOTH I-800 Provisionals (classifying orphans as adoptable orphans & verifying our Home study specifically mentioning them by name and by special need and by age...(no more original or notarized copy of a home study addendum will be allowed to be carried by adoptive parents to China: not allowed per USA) were both granted today for our family, from the Hague NBC~National Benefits Center. They (NBC) are actually sending them overnight to the Hague NVC~National Visa Center. (this is rare to overnight, usually they use snail mail) The NVC will look over the two new kids visa applications, or DS-230's and the I-797C (old I-171H) and these 2 new I800 provisional approvals ..aka "The Paperwork" that they will receive TOMORROW. ;o) They then scan it and then cable/wire the scans to GZ (Guangzhou, China), along with snail mailing the hard copies to Guangzhou, China to the office of the US Consulate (this takes 7-10 days)... ughhh ~ Then the US CONSULATE SIGNS (taking up to 3 weeks,...That we don't have) IT ALL ("the paperwork") INTO EFFECT,... after verifying everyone else's ~ verification that we are fit parents and qualify to adopt and these two kids are qualified as orphans. This is officially called Article #5 (or LOA/LSC #2) this Article #5 is sent to the CCAA China Center of Adoption Affairs) in Beijing, and then China gives us TA (Travel Approval)! Then of course, our adoption agency waits for the US Consulate to grant/confirm our family an exiting CA (Consulate Appointment), this taking 1-6 days. Then we can go get our children waiting for us!!!!!
~
P.S.
I had you at HELLO, right??..:o).... and then it was a downhill snowball effect of being UGHHH!!!! and HUHHH???, or just down right dull!!! :o)
UPDATE: 8/7/9 THE NVC HAS BOTH PROVISIONALS; PRAY THEY MOVE THEM TO GZ(Guangzhou, China) QUICKLY.
UPDATE:8/11/9 They moved them to Guangzhou (GZ, China). Now we wait for the signing of the Article 5.
UPDATE: Article 5 signed on 8/13/9
...Next stop Beijing for TA (Travel Approval)