Off to Florida

It's a Monday and I am at an institute day - tired and unmotivated! They should have given us all week off instead of just having us come on Monday! Oh well - tonight I am leaving for Florida and I am excited to feel the sunshine and put my feet in the sand and spend quality time with my sister.

She won't be able to come to Amaya's shower on Dec. 1 so she is giving me the presents to take back home with me as long as I promise to not open them until then! It's going to be hard not to peek :-)

This weekend I went out for a girls night dinner with some of my BFF's and we had a great time. We celebrated that Amaya was 8 months old on that night and we went to a chinese restaurant. My friend Stephanie bought me the cutest referral present - it's a photo box that's red and looks like a ladybug and there are 2 cute pics of Asian girls on the front! :-) She said it's for me to put my China photos and memorabilia in! So thoughtful! I'm so blessed to have great friends and family who have supported me during the wait and are so excited to meet Amaya!

Yesterday I started putting some of her outfits in ziplocks and putting some things in the suitcase and that's the first time I felt a little stressed because it's getting so full already. I purposely bought new luggage that is supposedly lightweight but it is not as big as my older suitcase so I might have to switch to my older heavier one. We'll see. My mom and I are going to have a practice packing session and combine our things at my house and see which suitcases work the best.

My agency sent me the travel preparation package and information about forms and visa applications. My mom is going to go down to the consulate with our applications and passports on Wednesday. :-) EXCITING! It said that we are hoping to travel December 20 but that the exact date will most likely be later than that - that's just the earliest date it would be and to put that on the application. I really hope we get to be with her on Christmas! I have her Christmas outfit packed with a matching hat and slippers! :-)

Well, Happy Thanksgiving to all and I'll post again when I get back!