We Are Here!!!!!!

We made it, but it was close! I am so glad I checked the United website on Saturday night as I discovered our flight to San Francisco had been cancelled. I called the American Express Travel and they told me we had been booked on the earlier flight out of Portland @ 6:14am! It was after 10pm so we crashed for about 4 hours, but we were late leaving the hotel. Once we got to the airport is was a baggage transfer nightmare and I had to return the rental - at this point our flight was about 1.5 hours from leaving. Still half asleep I left my cell phone in the rental car and discovered it about 100 yards down the esclator and around the corner. Ever run up an escalator backwards? I did it once in Vegas, but was alot younger and in better shape - not recommended! Once at the United counter the check-in gal gave us a hard time about our return reservation in 6 months as it relates to our initial Chinese Visas which are 6 month, multi-entry, 30 day max stay Visas. She claimed she could not check us in without changing the return reservations. I know she is being difficult at this point as I have never had this problem before and a few of my flights to and from China have exceeded a 30 day stay. I bit my tongue (good thing!), but am thinking come on lady you are the one getting paid to make this happen - figure it out so we don't miss our flight!! She finally got direction from one of her supervisor's and we were off to the gate with less than 35 minutes to our flight. I peeked over at the TSA luggage screening before we left and they were just cutting the duct tape on our Rubbermaid bin - I told Pam there is no possible way that is going to make it on our flight.........

Arrived Monday night about 6pm....slept now wide awake and it is 4am Tues in China. We got our entire luggage thankfully – all 10-12 pieces of it including our carry on’s as we checked 8 large bags. I could not believe that Rubbermaid tote actually arrived because it went through the TSA less than 45 minutes before our flight left Portland and they were just beginning to crack it open. If you could have seen how many items were in there and the way it was packed to get all of those items you would know what I mean. It had many of the "things" you just can't get in China

Joe Garside and his driver and my driver Jacky met us at the airport so we could get our entire luggage home. It was nice seeing some familiar faces and Angelina really hammed it up for Joe. He had met her before (just a couple of days after we arrived in the US from Ukraine), but I think he was amazed at her – I know we are!

Well we are very happy to finally be here as a family and settled in one location for obvious family and bonding, but also for work reasons. The travelling is finally over, but the pressure is going to be on over the next couple of months and I will be doing catch up for awhile, but nothing I have not been through before. I think Pam and Angelina are going to settle in fine and of course Angelina has proven how adaptable she is! Also, Pam already has an entire network of contacts her in Shanghai through the wives of my colleagues and that will really help settling in.

Our first vacation is coming up in a couple of weeks. The first week of May is a Labor Holiday for China so Pam booked us a trip for one week in Phuket, Thailand. Our first true vacation in over 3 years!!! With the previous adoption uncertainty and my back surgery in 2005 we just have not gotten away. Now we will!!

Zai Jian from Shanghai,
Pam, Angelina & Brian

One More Week!!!!!!

First I want to apologize for the lack of posting.........we have been so busy since we left Iowa & Illinois in early March. I returned to Shanghai right after that for 2 weeks and have now been home 2 weeks getting ready for our big move on April 15th. Today the packing company was here to pack and ship our allotted items for China (next week they pack the rest of the house for storage here in Portland) - it will take about a month to ship and clear customs.....so Angelina will be without high chair, bed and most of her toys for awhile. I cannot believe how much stuff we have collected over the last 9 years since we moved into this home. We find ourselves, selling, giving or throwing things away that we otherwise would not. You know though it is a healthy exercise, but I still hate it.

Angelina is doing absolutely wonderful and our bonding has really accelerated over the last month - of course she is still Mommy's girl, but she is quickly pulling me into her circle of trust and love. She now counts to 10 on her own and at random breaks into a little chant with numbers, including her many sayings that she likes to belt out - "No", Where did Mommy Go?", Where did Daddy Go?", "Where is Jeanie?" (Grandma), "Whoaa, Whoaa" and my favorite "Angelina is a Pretty Girl!" She is really into talking about herself in the third person and it is quite funny.

I still owe our family in Iowa and Illinois a detailed post of our visit and will complete once we are in Shanghai or maybe sitting in the airport or on our 13.5 hour flight from San Francisco. Intel finally publicly announced the factory we are going to build last week and the fervor around it from suppliers, wannabe employees and anyone else that wants to get their hands involved has really picked up. My colleagues in Shanghai are ready for me to finally be there permanently and frankly I am sick of the international commutting and cannot wait to be living as a family under one roof once again. I did move into our apartment and it is very nice and spacious - couldn't believe it but the apartment is larger than our current house. It totals about 2,300 sq.ft. - who would have thought?