Friday, April 01, 2005

April 1 a flurry of papers and reservations

The lack of posting in the week plus has been a result of a significant amount of activity at this end of the red thread.

Earlier this week we received our second but not final travel packet that included papers needing signatures and notary action. This was all resolved by today, most completed and returned to Colorado by Wednesday. Visa applications were submitted to JC Travel in San Francisco as we await their return which will take a little time.

Meanwhile, our agency gave a very clear signal that we will not be travelling in the first groups, but head up the second groups to Hong Kong and onward to our final destination in China to meet Celeste and start her journey to bring her home. Most importantly we were given an indication of dates of travel while not confirmed were close enough to go ahead to book airline tickets for two out and three back.

Speaking with a number of airlines including the conciege service at Amex clearly identified no business class seating available through to the end of May and clearly no opportunity to upgrade. The solution was for three seats on the return journey that will be non-stop from Hong Kong to JFK in New York.

Celeste's entry point into America will be within the metophoric shadow of the Statue of Liberty, as was my entry into Newark almost five years earlier.

The airline tickets have the flexibility built in to change dates outbound or return if needs be, subject to a small penalty, nevertheless we have flights and have taken a major step forward in realizing the nearer conclusion of our adoption journey for all three of us.

This week Celeste, your Mommy sent you a package that contained a soft photo album, a blanket and a toy stuff chickadee to play with as an advanced birthday gift. We were only allowed to send a small box not bigger than a shoebox and this was carefully packed and sent with love.

Much has been achieved in a flurry of paperwork and reservations and as the calendar switched from March to April, the crocuses bloomed in the garden the birds returned to the trees and we are two weeks closer to being together than we were two weeks ago.

Celeste Mommy and Daddy are coming to get you, not simply words but we have tickets and a special ticket for you too.

Two notable other events happened in our family you have two new cousins, Brian and
James born on March 20 and March 29 respectively.