Pelley Family Blog

Today is Ruby XiaoYing’s 10th Birthday!  At breakfast, Joanna suggested that we get a cake, and celebrate.  So we did, and took our picture with the cake, and will send the picture to her when we write next week with the exact date we’re coming.  (The balloons are compliments of Grace’s horseback therapy Awards Banquet tonight!)  We also have a birthday package that was sent to her this past week, and a cake was to be delivered today.  You will notice in the birthday package is a camera.  We told her to take pictures of people and things she wants to always remember.  I hope she’s a good photographer!! 

Only three more weeks, precious girl, and we’ll be there!

Here is what we sent to Ruby via RedThread.com:

Well - it’s official - we have airline tickets to China!  And, if anything, the wait sure helped with the cost - tickets are much cheaper now than just weeks ago!

We leave on Wednesday, March 18.  We will go to Beijing for a couple of days - and at some point (we’re not sure when yet), we will fly to Guangdong and meet Ruby the next day!  Our appointment at the American Consulate (the last official thing we have to do) is March 31, and we leave the next day for home, arriving the day after that. 

As usual, I’ve been uptight about some of the details.  We get in late, late, late on the evening of April 2.  The girls biggest Bible Quiz is two days later, on April 4.  I worry about they not being at their “peak”.  But, God has helped me with that.  Dad’s birthday is also that weekend, and I would so like to be with family to celebrate, but I’m not sure how we - and Ruby - will be doing!  Now I’m worrying about our “in China” flights, as they have quite strict carry-on rules, so I’m working through that.  We tend to load up our carry-on bags with the stuff we can’t fit into our suitcases.  But, we’ll deal with it.

I was singing along with an Avalon CD the other day - “Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him . . . . “  And I thought - “No, you don’t!  You are sure not acting like it, the way you are fretting over everything.”  So - I’ve been working on that.

One of the things I was down about was the fact that most of our travel group got Consulate appointments on March 30, so they will get to come home a day earlier, and how nice that would have been.  We, along with one other family, were not able to get our appointment until the 31st.  Well, today I found out that another family, who is also adopting a ten year old, just got their TA and they were able to get them in for a March 31 consulate appointment.  So - now we get to travel together!  We had hoped to travel together, as we thought it would be good for our girls to have each other as friends during the trip.  Joanna said to me - “So, NOW are you glad you are on for the 31st?”  God knew.

The call came as we were driving home from Grace’s therapy!  Maury was telling us that our TA arrived today!  Yes!!!  She estimates that we will most likely leave about March 18 and arrive home about April 2.  We will get Ruby XiaoYing about March 22 or 23!  I was disappointed to find that another family that I had hoped we would travel with did not get their TA today.  But, six other families did - so we will be with a group for most of the time.  The next step is for our agency to get an appointment for us at the US Consulate and then they can make our travel plans.  I’ll post when I get our schedule!

We received our visas from the Chinese consulate today.  So, we’re ready to go.  Oh - we do need a Travel Approval (TA)!  Last Friday was the four week mark since receiving our LOA.  It takes about four weeks.   But, then add the week or two for Chinese New Year.  It’ll come - it’ll come - it’ll come. 

Meanwhile - Joanna is working away on her quilts for their bedroom (hers and Ruby’s).   The next two Saturdays are pretty free, so I hope to finish up some home organization (a never ending project - since I’m a slob!)

The girls quizzed on Saturday.  joanna - #1 in Memory Quiz, and #3 overal.  Grace - #1 overall.  They both did so well!

I have to say that the most fun part of this process thus far has been buying “girlie” clothes!  I just cringe when I think of all the beautiful girls’ clothes that I sold on ebay or to second hand shops or gave away.  I’d LOVE to have those things back.  But, alas, they are gone.  Buying an entire wardrobe is a daunting task, not to mention expensive. 

I’ve managed a few great deals - a Lands’ End coat for $7 (never mind that she probably won’t get much wear out of it, as she won’t get here in the winter, as we planned), or the $1.25 spring jacket at a small Amish thrift store, or the $6 Hanna Andersson.  I’ve hit lots of consignments, but I must say my best deals have been at Gymboree.  I walk right past the full priced stuff to the sale racks.  My best goldmine happened when I mentioned to the saleslady (found out later it was the manager) that I needed a whole wardrobe.  She went to the back of the store and brought out garbage sized bags of last summer’s stuff.  Some pieces I got for $1.  Can you believe?  Today I stopped in.  She mentioned that I should come tomorrow, as everything will be marked down even more, and with a coupon, it would be even cheaper.  Well, if I had found lots of stuff, maybe it would warrant another trip, but I really want to stay home tomorrow.  Just three items I wanted, anyhow.  So - she gave them to me at the sale plus coupon price.  Paid about $3.50 per piece. 

I love to shop!

Well, as we wait for our TA, seems like we keep busy with other things - that’s good. 

Grace and Joanna are busy Bible Quizzing.  For those of you not familiar with this, it involves massive amounts of study and memorizing Scripture - this year it is the book of Luke.  About once per month they go to a meet where they compete both individually and as a team.  They sit on “jump seats”, which record who jumps first when a question is asked.  (Kind of like Jeopardy, but you jump!)  If you jump before the question is complete, you have to complete the question, and then give the answer, all within thirty seconds!  If you are competing against good quizzers, you almost always have to pre-jump - as they call it.  It is quite competitive.   My girls absolutely LOVE quizzing!  I have to brag that at the Januaryt quiz, Joanna came in first for the Memory quiz (consisting only of memory verses) and Joanna and Grace tied for second in individual score!  This was out of about sixty quizzers.  Well, Saturday is another meet, and these gals are studying like crazy.  Joanna has memorized about 120 verses, so I need to do lots of listening this week.  They have to be word perfect!