And I have plane tickets and a wad of crisp, clean, unmarked bills and four giant suitcases to prove it!!!!!

In just over one a week, we will be on our way to Belane. Our flight leaves at 6:21am on Saturday, Oct. 21. Woo hoo! (ok, I probably won't be saying woo-hoo when we really are leaving because we have a three hour drive to the airport...have to be there two hours early...so we'll be pulling out around 1 a.m.) Oh, who am I kidding? I will still be saying woo-hoo at 1 a.m.!!

We still don't have word that Belane's waiver is done. That would be because when we thought it was sitting on the last desk it needs to sit on receiving the last signature it needs to receive by the last officer that needs to look it (the same officer that promised to process it within one week or receipt), it was actually sitting on a different desk, where it had been neglected to be sent on to the afore-mentioned "last desk."

So we lost almost two weeks time. But, we know it was received last week, so if it is truly processed within one week as promised, we should still be fine. We've been told we won't hear anything until the visa is issued now (unless there are problems), so we've lost the luxury of knowing it is "all done" well before we travel, but we just didn't feel that moving the trip back was the right thing to do.

For one, we don't know that there is any reason to move the trip back, as all the info we have at this point tells that we will be fine to come home as planned. Second, it takes a whole lot of planning for Josh and I to get out of here, and rearranging our flights, my aunt's flight (who is coming out from NY to watch kids), all of the other babysitters, the dog sitter, the rental cars, etc., is really overwhelming (and would cost a few hundred dollars.)

Secondly, our trip right now only has us gone for 5 1/2 days, so even if we do have to stay a whole week longer than we have planned (which we really don't anticipate), we still won't be gone very long.

And thirdly, and most importantly, it is just time to go. Going feels like the right thing to do. Belane has waited a long time for us, and it is time for her to be with her Mommy and Daddy. I want to get her out of the orphanage...away from chicken pox and measels and colds and flus and all of the other stuff that goes around the orphangaes over there. It's just time.

So, we are really going. I have been containing my excitement pretty well, although at times it bubbles up in such a way that I feel I am going to just scream and jump up and down all at once.

I am glad there is much to do in the next week...rebraid my girls' hair, finish packing donations, write out the kids' schedules, clean the house, have a few days with my aunt and "retraining" her with the kids, :), and lots of other last minute things.

I did find out that the Hilton where we are staying has broadband internet access in the rooms, so I plan on updating my blog reguarly during our trip.

Oh, and the documentary people are planning on meeting us at the airport when we arrive and following us home...they want to get footage of Belane meeting all of her brothers and sisters.

I do really dislike being away from my children, so we'd definitely appreciate prayers that we can come home as planned and start our life all together.

So, that is the update for today. Have a great weekend. More soon!