Continuing the Journey

It’s 4AM and Mommy Can’t Sleep!

My migraine eventually subsided (thanks to all who sent me lovely comments and e-mails of encouragement, by the way!) but now I can’t sleep! Ugggghhhhh…are you KIDDING me?!?!

Daddy and I were discussing yesterday how this trip has gone so much better for us, mentally, than Carson’s trip did. Don’t know why that is – maybe having a start-to-finish travel group? (We were alone for half of Carson’s trip.) Whatever the reason, I hit the brick wall yesterday and really just need this trip to be over. I mean, when you’re looking FORWARD to over 24 hours of airplane travel and layovers with a wild and crazy four-year-old, you know you’re desperate to get home!

We are thankful to have added this beautiful firecracker to our family and can’t wait to finally unite her with Meggie and Carson! We want to sleep in our own comfortable pillow-top king-sized bed. We want to shop and not be followed around by high-pressure salespeople. We want to take showers and not come out smelling WORSE than when we went in. We want to brush our teeth and take a sip of water using the tap, instead of relying on bottled water. I want to do laundry and read all the blogs I couldn't access over here. Daddy misses making his own crazy-strong black coffee. Heck…we both are even a bit anxious to get back to our jobs!!

This afternoon we have our Consulate appointment and this evening my dear travel mate and new friend, Ann, and I are having massages…Daddy insisted and we both agreed that a little relaxation before we head home can’t be a bad thing. After our massages, we’re gonna have one more dinner at Lucy’s and head back to the room to pack. We leave for the airport Friday morning around 8AM (I think…haven’t gotten Jason’s detailed schedule yet) and our flight out of here is around 10AM. We should be landing at our home airport Friday evening around 8PM.

I’ll probably blog again today. (Who am I kidding? Of COURSE I’ll blog again today.) But I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to thank our awesome Teenager for helping me with the blogging duties, my wonderful in-laws for keeping the older two kids busy and safe while we were gone, and all of the wonderful family and friends who have commented and e-mailed support and encouragement…you have all kept me sane and made this 16-day trip as bearable as it could possibly be.

That’s all for now…but of course I have to add pictures. This blog has a shopping theme as we see…
…Carson and Meggie behaving so nicely while shopping at our local mall back in November of 2007…

…and Molly proudly displaying her new t-shirt, bought here in Guangzhou a couple of days ago! (Isn’t that a riot?!)

Yes, Baby Girl, you were “Made in China”…but you are gonna be raised and loved in the good ‘ole USA by two of the luckiest parents in the world!!

One more sleep (or sleepless night, in my case) and we’re outta here!!!